


The Erotic World

by TheWolfSage



Category: Original Work
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, F/F, F/M, Freeuse, Gen, Harem, Incest, Isekai, Multi, Other, Polygamy, Power Fantasy, Unlimited Potential MC, elaborate, free love, long chapters, world building
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-13
Updated: 2020-07-01
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:35:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 55,338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24696115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheWolfSage/pseuds/TheWolfSage
Summary: A young man awakens with no memory, in a world he does not fully understand. This world is strange, it is new, it is... oddly arousing. Everything and everyone in this world seems to want a piece of him, in one meaning or another, and Hadrian must discover to what ends he will chase these pleasures, while coming to understand his place in this new realm.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 17





	1. Arrival

His head spun as he forced himself upward. He was laying on some kind of cold stone, as he could tell by the chill running down his skin. Judging by how much of his body was affected by the chill, he also guessed that he was nude… and yet a strange warmth filled his being. As he focused his vision he was finally able to make sense of the world around him.

The stone floor was actually smooth marble, elegantly designed. There was an intricate golden symbol on the floor, one that he lay in the center of. It unnerved him, a little bit – the idea of laying naked on that symbol seemed like some kind of cult ritual, a black sacrifice, and the symbols woven into the design only reinforced that idea as much as he might try to discard it.. But the emptiness of the room was somehow even more oppressive. There were two doors that led inside, smooth wood covered with literal gold inlay, or at least that was what it appeared to be. The designs on the door were less like a symbol, though, and more like simple decoration… which was somewhat calming. The walls around him were some kind of obsidian tiling, black and so reflective that he could clearly see himself as well as he could in the floor beneath him.

He realized something, then. As he struggled to figure out where he was, how he had gotten there, why he was naked… none of it was registering in his mind. He had no memories of what this place was. Or any place, for that matter. He was drawing a total blank, except, one thing…

“Hadrian… my name is… Hadrian…” as he said those words out loud to comfort himself, a few other hazy facts seemed to drift by. He was… twenty. Something. Twenty-four? That sounded strangely right, but no more than any other number in that region. He could see in the polished reflection of the floor that he had black hair, and he recognized his own face in the floor, but none of this was bringing back any real memories, not anything tangible.

There was a tapping sound coming from the walls. Quiet at first, but rapid enough that he couldn’t miss it. It steadily grew in intensity until, with a great creaking sound, the double doors both flew open so harshly that they slammed into the walls. The sound of wood crashing into crystalline surface echoed throughout the tiny chamber, so loud Hadrian’s ears were like to rupture had he not covered them.

The person who had thrown them open shocked him far more than any level of noise, though. He didn’t recognize her, though even that would’ve been a true miracle given her appearance. It was a woman, as her body shape and facial features. She wore a red corset with a white strip at the top that seemed to be one-piece with a white skirt that flowed around her legs. Unattached, or so it seemed, were two long red sleeves that hovered around her arms as if lifted by a nonexistent breeze. Across her face was an expression that mirrored his own shock, but hers were fixed upon him, while his could scarcely stop moving, taking in her… extra features.

Across the top of her head, two fox-like ears were rapidly twitching to the side, as if she could not stop them from convulsing. Behind her, six pearl-white tails of a length almost equal to her height were dropped to the floor, motionless, but when she had come in they had been spread out and rapidly flowing behind her. And above her shoulder, hovering around her body seemingly randomly, was a glowing blue ball that didn’t appear to have anything inside of it, but rather to simply be a floating ball of light.

“It’s… it’s you!” she shouted, pointing almost accusingly at him. Hadrian looked around, as if he believed someone else had suddenly appeared. As he did so, he realized first that he was the only possible person, and then a moment later the exact situation that he was in. Hadrian instinctively covered himself as best as he could, both hands diving between his legs, but the woman paid no mind. She rushed over to him, going down to her knees beside him and placing her hands on his face, pulling it from side to side and examining every inch of him.

“So much like the scripture, but… so different. So unique, so… real,” she said, breathing the last word. Although she was manhandling him just a little bit, she did so softly, almost tentatively. Every movement she made and even the words she spoke were handled with care, as if she thought anything could break him. The tails behind her were now flicking back and forth madly, in the same patterns over and over again, but each individual of each other.

“I’m sorry… do you… know me?” He asked, uncertain of how much to reveal. As much as he wanted to ask more direct questions, this woman was acting incredibly erratically, and he wasn’t getting over her appearance any time soon.

“Of course! You are the Lord, the one we’ve waited so long for! My sisters will be so incredulous… I cannot believe I was the one to bear witness to your arrival, after so many millennia upon millennia! I cannot express to you the joy this has brought me!”

She clasped her arms around him, and for a moment Hadrian lost himself in that warmth. Then her tails curled around him, and though their softness was welcome, he could not rightfully embrace her without feeling a great degree of discomfort. He pushed her away gently, and looked her in the eyes with what he hoped was confusion rather than the mild tinges of fear he was starting to feel at all this.

“I’m sorry, but… none of this makes sense to me. I don’t remember anything. I mean… anything. But from what I think I remember, I’ve never seen anyone like you. I mean, really, anyone with a tail, much less six of them,” Hadrian said with nervousness. He wasn’t sure what exactly he was feeling. Fear at the loss of his memories was at the forefront, but then there was some tinge of happiness and relief that the first person he’d met apparently cared for him, or at the very least was friendly. But then, her appearance, and everything she was saying just brought back that nervousness and fear.

“Oh! You… you don’t know about us? Oh my, the scriptures said that you would be unlearned in our ways, but nothing about this... you truly remember nothing?”

“Nothing. I… my name is Hadrian. I think I’m… twenty-four. Maybe. Other than that, total blank until I woke up here. Uh… naked.”

She seemed to ignore the last part, but she did put her hands back on his face. “Hadrian… a fine name. But can you really be only twenty-four? Such a childish age for one so prophesized, but perhaps age is meaningless when one is delivered without memory.”

She was lost in thought for a few moments, gazing into his eyes as if expecting to find her answers there. Then, abruptly, she stood up and gazed out toward the hallway. When she turned back she had a toothy smile, one of what appeared to be her actual fangs barely hanging out of her mouth.

“Come with me. I will show you everything.”

She held out her arm to Hadrian, but he couldn’t help hesitating. What if this was the wrong thing to do? That’s what his brain kept asking him. He wasn’t sure that he had any other options, though. Realistically, he was trapped in a building that he had no way to navigate, with a creature (possibly creatures) of a mystical nature. Perhaps choosing to trust in the woman who at least acted friendly wasn’t such a bad idea. Hadrian grasped her hand and pulled himself to his feet, while still covering himself with his left hand.

“Could you… could we find some clothes first?” Hadrian asked, a bit embarrassed to even bring up the fact that until now she had seemingly ignored. 

She looked him up and down, a confused look coming across her face. “Why?”

Okay. So she understood he had no clothes. Apparently she just didn’t think it was as big of a deal as he did. “I… don’t feel comfortable walking around like this.”

“Why not? If it is the chill in the air concerning you, we are not going outside, do not worry yourself milord. I only wore mine because I had been cleaning the grounds, and it is so troublesome to keep myself warm in the late autumn. Perhaps you would be more comfortable if I removed them?”

Hadrian couldn’t believe her casualness. Nor his luck, but given what he was in the middle of, there was no way he could even consider something like that. No, he needed focus, and to figure out where he was. “I- I just- never mind, you’re right, let’s go.”

Hadrian tried to force the issue to the back of his mind. If she was so oblivious, why should he bother to point it out? He couldn’t remember much more than what clothes were… maybe they weren’t normal to worry about so much? As blurry as his memory was, that didn’t sound right. Then again, could he really trust a collection of hazy memories about societal norms? There was a living, breathing fox-girl in front of him, and his brain was telling him that the latter was a lot more unlikely than the former.

The hall that they walked into was naturally lit. High windows went from the ceiling to the floor, with only grooves in the stone holding them in place. They were intricately carved, and everywhere he looked there were amazing designs. He thought about commenting on them, but decided it was better to try to keep his focus on what was happening around him. Looking out the windows he saw more stone walls, ahead and perpendicular to the hall they were in. He looked down and nearly stumbled in surprise – they were almost a dozen floors off the ground! He tried to look back, but the stone protruded too far past the windows to look at the room they’d come from. Everything he saw looked like medieval construction… but surely not twelve stories or better off the ground?

There was another set of double doors; these ones were noticeably less intricate than the last pair, but they still had a damned lot of decoration on them. They made their way through them and into a hallway that opened up in three separate directions. The woman turned left and gestured around them with a sweeping motion.

“This is all the Lord’s Quarters,” she said softly, but loudly enough for him to hear. “We’re going to the Living Quarters. On the other side of this, down the right hallway, are your personal quarters for study, research, and recreation. With enough facilities to accommodate any guests you invite to stay in the Living Quarters.”

“How many people can stay in the Living Quarters?” Hadrian asked, suddenly curious as to how large the castle really was.

“Counting your personal bed? A hundred and twenty-five,” she said as if the number were nothing.

“A hundred and twenty-five?” Hadrian gasped, shocked.

“Is that not enough? Oh, my, we can always have more built! The convoy of drakes that visited last week should only be a few hundred miles away by now, surely I can reach them-“

“Hey,” Hadrian said, moving forward and grabbing the wrist of the flustered fox-girl. She perked up but made no movement to stop, and she immediately ceased her rapid words. Hadrian had come to realize something by the girl’s actions – she wasn’t exactly nervous, but she was just as bewildered as he was. It was putting both of them on edge. “Calm down. I don’t need more, that many is… more than I can understand. Why does the… Lord have so many?”

She looked at him in the same curious, uncertain way as she had when he’d asked about his clothes. “Why would he not? It was said the Lord would call many to live with him, for as much or as little time as he pleased, and none would deny him that, so why run the risk of running out of beds?”

“I don’t remember anyone, though,” Hadrian said as she began walking again and he strode quickly to keep up. “Who would I invite to live with me?”

“That’s entirely your decision…” there was a sudden shift in the tone of her voice as she continued. One of her tails swiped to the side, slowly, and grazed his cheekbone. “You are, after all, the Lord. And I said, none would deny an invitation you extended… especially a simple servant.”

Hadrian tried not to notice the action, but he did. He barely responded, though – at the moment, his mind was so overwhelmed with possibilities that he couldn’t handle much more. Instead, a question came to his mind that had actually been slowly ebbing its way forward the entire time.

“What’s your name?”

For the first time, the fox-girl looked genuinely surprised, and – was that a blush that colored her cheeks?

“The Lord honors me,” she murmured, actually turning and giving a small curtsy before she turned back and continued on. “I am but a humble servant, by the name of Eyarra. It deeply pleases me to find that the Lord is such a caring person. Perhaps if you wish, we could get to know each other better?”

The tone did not escape him. He wondered what brought it out, from a woman he didn’t even know. This time rather than changing the topic he just ignored her. The hallway they were in was very long, and they had passed several doors, and even a spiraling staircase that travelled both up and down, but eventually they came to a third set of double doors – a pattern if ever there was one – with the same sort of decoration as the one that had closed off the chamber he awoke in.

“This is your bedroom, Lord.”

Eyarra opened the door and gave another curtsy as she gestured inside. Hadrian walked in and looked in awe at the massive, crimson room in front of him.

The walls were alternating tapestries and windows across half of the room, while the other half was mostly dominated by a large, semi-circular bed. The windows were long, but unlike the hallway did not go all the way to the ceiling. Instead they started about two feet off the floor and went up about eight feet higher, tapering off for the last two feet to points. At the top of each of the four large windows was a mural that looked like it was made of stained glass, but much more detailed; rather than fragments it seemed to be one solid piece of glass where the colors simply stopped when needed. The colors were also a thousand times more detailed than you could get with even the smallest pieces of glass available. Despite the distance, he found he could quite easily see what each was depicting. 

From left to right each held a single figure; one was a normal-looking human, or so it appeared until one noticed the very tips of her ears were quite pointed. She was standing in a lush, green woodland. The next one over was a woman not unlike the one who’d led Hadrian here – she had long black hair, with two very visible pointed ears on top of her head, and seven black tails flowing down out of a long kimono. She was surrounded by a strange aura that covered most of the background. The third portrait had, he realized on closer inspection, one main figure – a woman with black wings unfurling from her back and a long, pointed tail, and who was wearing next to nothing – and three other figures in the background, standing behind her. One had similar wings, but reddened skin and what appeared to be scales over most of her body save her white-ish stomach. Another had the tail of a snake jutting out from under her waist. The fourth was barely visible, but appeared to have long, feathered wings, and was perched on the shoulders of the two in front of her. Hadrian gazed at each of them in wonder for a moment before turning his attention to the final portrait. 

The figure here was indecipherable – despite the detail in the rest of the glass, which showed a crystal-clear lake by a long meadow, the figure itself was nothing more than a human-shaped white blob. Only the definition on each of the fingers and the individual strands of white hair convinced him that it was part of the design at all, and not a worn or broken piece of it. Each of the tapestries also bore several designs, but they would’ve taken the better part of an hour to examine in full, given that each one was nearly four feet wide and the designs were surprisingly intricate.

Aside from the bed, there was very little furniture; only one small wardrobe, as well as a full-length mirror a short walk from the oversized bed, directly next to one of the windows. But despite the emptiness, the majesty of the room was overwhelming. Yet somehow, he still felt at home. Though as far as he could tell he’d never been here before, something about the room was… familiar. It eased his mind and helped take some of the stress off of his shoulders. For the first time since he awoke he was letting something other than his questions take over his mind.

“This is all very… extravagant. Beautiful. I can’t… why is this mine?” Hadrian was having difficulty putting this thoughts into words, but he tried as hard as he could. “I don’t even remember who I am, or anything about this place. How can so much be mine?”

“Everything will be explained in time, I promise, but I don’t wish to overwhelm you. Come, let us relax ourselves a little more. You must be feeling a great deal of stress if you truly remember so little. Perhaps I can help you relieve some of it?”

Hadrian was preparing to respond when something hit him in the back of the head. Something… soft. And light. At first, he assumed she’d playfully batted at him with one of her tails, something he found surprisingly funny, perhaps just because of the way picturing someone with tails was still so strange in his head. He turned to ask why she was so forward, when he realized it wasn’t her tail that had hit him.

It was one of her sleeves.

The dress followed shortly after, but it landed at his feet rather than on top of them. She didn’t strike a pose, didn’t have any more comments for him or even tempt him with a sensual touch as she had before. She simply smiled at him, and only for a moment, then proceeded to the bed, laying down with her legs over the edge as simply as if she were just taking a rest from standing for a few moments.

Hadrian stared at her, unable now to stop his eyes from wandering. Her soft raven locks were haphazardly thrown across her shoulders, flowing down the pale, flawless skin of her chest. Her breasts weren’t large, a small B-cup at best, but they were firm and stood up even as she lay there. She glanced down and saw him staring at her, but her only response was to smile.

“I’m glad to know my body pleases you, Lord…” she said with a glance downward. Hadrian hadn’t noticed until then, but he was rock hard. He might’ve been for a while. It appeared that while his mind was only just beginning to calm down, his body was more than ready to forget his troubles.

Hadrian blushed and moved to cover up his erection, which surprisingly was the first thing to get a real reaction out of the woman. She pushed herself off of the bed and moved over, gently placing her hand over Hadrian’s and moving it away.

“You are embarrassed. Why? Have I shamed you?”

With the two of them naked, Hadrian’s reaction only strengthened as she pushed herself so close to him that her breasts rested against his chest, and he could feel the heat from her body against every part of him. She seemed almost unnaturally warm.

“I’m just… not comfortable like this. We don’t even know each other.”

She more gently touched his face, while wrapping around his lower half with her tails. The soft caress against his lower back was surprisingly effective at calming his tense nerves, despite the added proximity.

“I know not what happened to your memories, Lord, or where you came from before you arrived here… but I know that here, in Rafflesia, we do not carry shame for our bodies, or what we do with them. We take great pride in the pleasure that our bodies can bring, and the connections it can strengthen. Do you find me attractive?”

“I… I do,” Hadrian said, unable to deny that fact, especially with her in such close proximity.

“And I most certainly find you desirable. So, why should we not enjoy ourselves? It’s the most natural thing in the world.”

She began to pull him by the arm and with her tails, urging him toward the bed. Hadrian wanted to say no, but his instincts had taken hold of him, regardless of his situation. He stumbled along behind her all the way to the massive, semicircular bed. When they reached the edge, she pulled his hand forward and twisted him around, causing him to land on his back and sink in to the softness of the sheets.

“You’re still uncomfortable…” she said softly, trailing her hands down his sides. The motion sent chills up Hadrian’s spine, especially as she got a predatory look in her eyes. “…so just sit back and let me do all the work.”

She went to her knees at the edge of the bed and spread his legs. His arms were at his sides where they’d tried to catch him as he fell onto the bed, so without his legs he was left completely exposed. Eyarra pulled herself closer and slowly began pumping him, almost teasingly. The effect was immediate; Hadrian twitched on the bed and sucked in a breath, overcome by the sensation that her soft skin gave him.

“Awfully sensitive, aren’t you? I don’t know where you came from, but it must have been quite a while since you had any attention. Don’t worry, you’ll never have to worry about that again, so long as you remain in Rafflesia.”

She stopped talking then, and put her mouth to other uses. While her hand pumped his seven inches of shaft, her soft tongue lapped at the head. She alternated between teasing his slit and circling the head with her tongue, while Hadrian lay his head back on the bed and closed his eyes, reveling in the sensations. Precum leaked from his tip, and each twirl of her tongue whisked away the thin fluid.

Saliva began to leak down Hadrian’s length as she picked up the pace, her hand sliding effortlessly up and down with the added lubrication. Eyarra moved her head forward, taking in the entire head between her soft lips and sucking hard while her tongue danced around the tip. Her free hand snaked in between her own legs and rubbed her mound, already soaked with her own lustful secretions.

After a few minutes Hadrian could feel his urge to climax rising. He tried to signal her, to get her to stop, but if anything his efforts only made her more furious in her actions. Her head bobbed rapidly, and Hadrian’s mind was a blur of pleasure as her tongue traced along the underside of his shaft.

“G-gonna cum, soon…” he got out as she reached a new tempo. That was all he said, though, as in the next moment Eyarra forewent the stroking entirely. She pulled her hand off and opened her mouth as wide as it could go, welcoming his member deeper inside of her lips. Eyarra swallowed his shaft unflinchingly, continuing down until her lips touched the base. Hadrian felt the pulsations of her throat around his head, while her tongue bathed his entire length. The pressure that had been building was too much for him, and he spasmed against the bed as he tried to thrust his hips even deeper into the soft cavern.

Eyarra felt the twitching and throbbing in his member, welcoming the fluid that suddenly spurted into her throat. Hadrian could see her throat convulsing as she rapidly swallowed every drop directly into her throat, shoving his member as far down as possible the entire time. It felt like her esophagus was milking him, and he couldn’t stop himself from shaking from the pleasure.

When his orgasm finally died down, he felt the muscles around his spine in particular as the tension left his body. But there was no time for him to rest. Before he could say anything to the fox-girl, though, he felt her shifting at his feet. She leaped up onto the bed, landing with her legs on both sides of his body, her crotch hovering only millimeters above his member, which for some reason had not subsided in the least.

“Mmm, as delicious as I expected,” Eyarra said. Despite how erotic she looked, with her fingers pressed to her lips, her look was one of genuine happiness. “They said the Lord would be pleasure in all forms… I see they were not exaggerating. Now, let us experience even greater heights, together.”

She dragged her body from Hadrian’s thighs all the way up to his abdomen, and then back down. Each time that her heat passed over his member he felt soft wetness caressing him, intense with readiness. He endured it as long as he could, quite sure that he shouldn’t be so sensitive so soon after already shooting a load, but entirely convinced that he had actually died and arrived in some kind of Heaven. When he felt like he could take it no more he gripped her hips firmly, holding her tightly in place over his erect rod, and began grinding upwards into her.

“Ah… I thought- oh, right there – I was going to do all the work?” Eyarra asked, for the first time showing the briefest crack in her attitude as the head of Hadrian’s shaft ground against her clit. Hadrian smiled at her, managing to put his worries behind him for the moment.

“And I thought I’d never be having fantastic sex with an incredibly hot fox-lady… guess we’re both being pleasantly surprised.”

“Mmm, not a big fan of ‘fox-lady’… call me a Kitsune and we can get to the actual sex part,” she murmured, grinding his crotch against him even harder. For a moment he felt her entrance parting around his tip, but then she readjusted her hips and he slipped free, once again sliding along her vulva and rubbing at her sensitive bud. She let out a gasp of pleasure, but for Hadrian the lack of penetration was starting to drive him wild. Hadrian lost himself as he started to shout out what the woman wanted to hear.

“Fine, you’re a sexy, beautiful, hot Kitsune, and I want to fuck you so badly right no-“ Hadrian gasped as she suddenly raised herself up and adjusted his member, the abrupt embrace of her womanhood so overpowering that he thrust upwards in reflex. Eyarra moaned, and Hadrian felt her clench so tightly it was like her entire body was shrinking. He’d wanted to start slowly, but she took the reins again, and was more than ready for him. She started bouncing rapidly, practically drooling on his chest as her mouth hung open in an expression of sheer ecstasy.

“I… ah, always knew the Lord would feel good…” Eyarra said in a half-scream as she tried to maintain control of her voice. As the minutes wore on her pace never shifted, maintaining that steady and rapid motion that kept the pleasure growing for both of them. She rose and descended so fast Hadrian couldn’t feel each thrust, all he knew was that between the friction and the Kitsune’s unnatural heat it felt like his dick was starting to melt into the pressure. Despite the fact that only moments earlier he’d had what may very well have been his first orgasm, Hadrian was already experiencing a rapid climb in pleasure.

Eyarra didn’t seem to be taking any kind of slow build-up with him either. Her tongue was barely staying in her mouth as she leaned forward to clasp both of his hands, thrusting them onto her firm boobs and squeezing to make sure he got the point. Hadrian surprised her by leaning forward, letting her focus on the bouncing as he took both breasts into his mouth one after the other, licking and sucking at her nipples until she screamed with joy.

“I-it’s been too long, gonna cum, gonna-“

The warning meant for Hadrian was cut short as Eyarra burst into a high-pitched scream that surely carried through most if not all of the castle, no matter its size, as she clenched down on him in a rhythmic manner. Being milked in such a way, feeling almost unnatural in its euphoria, Hadrian was pushed past the edge as he jerked forward and further into Eyarra’s depths. His mouth left her compact tits as he let out a quiet moan, his hips jerking erratically as he poured every ounce of himself into her. There was a shocking amount for it being his second in less than an hour, and white cream began to slowly leak from her as his orgasm started to subside.

She collapsed against him, driving them both to the bed with her breasts pressing firmly into the side of his face. They were both quite covered in sweat, not to mention the bodily fluids coating their lower halves, but despite her rapid gasps and the fact that no other part of her moved, each of Eyarra’s tails continued to caress both of their bodies in very sensual but non-erotic ways. With her on top of him it was mostly his face and legs that got the attention, but they didn’t neglect his sides either, nor any part of her back.

Hadrian had expected her to rise eventually, but she seemed perfectly content to lay with him, holding him close and tight. Despite both orgasms, he had yet to subside, and his rod remained firmly embedded within the Kitsune. Judging by how she occasionally shifted slightly to move him around inside of her, she was both aware of this and completely fine with it.

“That’s… a hell of a welcoming party for a man who has no idea where he’s even being welcomed to,” Hadrian joked, not sure what else to say after a sudden encounter like that.

“Party? Oh, heavens, this is just how we say hello around here,” she said, with a smile that Hadrian couldn’t even begin to read as to whether she was joking or not. “The party doesn’t start until you meet the Council. Then we can have some real fun with you. Until then, let’s just enjoy the time we have together. Now, I’m feeling ready for round two, how about you?”

There was a good chance things were going to get very complicated for Hadrian in the near future. Finding himself without memory, in a world he may or may not have existed in at some point in the past (and probably didn’t, considering he was apparently expected to arrive - not return - at an unspecified point) couldn’t possibly come without complications. Then again, if the rest of the people here acted even remotely like the Kitsune, he was likely to have a lot of encounters like this in the future too.

Hadrian decided he was both aware of this, and completely fine with it.


	2. Introductions

“Is… is this really alright? Isn’t this some big, important meeting?”

“Of course it is. You’re meeting the High Council; they’re the only ones in all the land who are considered to be on the Lord’s level, politically.”

“And… I just walk in like this?”

“Of course. This is still your castle, after all. Besides, the High Council always meets in the nude.”

“You still haven’t explained anything about this meeting, what are we having it about?”

Eyarra’s smile was oddly reassuring, even in this time of great stress. “Why, you, of course. Your arrival is the event we’ve all been waiting for, some of us for hundreds of millennia! It’s said that your appearance is the greatest single event in Irropoi’s past, present, or future. In terms of change, at least. The High Council wants to meet you, wants to get to know you, and they all undoubtedly wish to ensure they are on your good terms. They’ll also inform you as much as you need to know about your position; your power, your influence, and the rights you have in this world.”

“How are they going to get to know me if I barely know myself?” Hadrian’s question was answered with a shrug.

“I’m sure that you know enough about yourself to give them something. Besides, as long as they know it’s the Lord, all that matters is being in your favor.”

Feeling utterly uncertain that he was anything less than INCREDIBLY in over his head, Hadrian was thusly ushered – and damn near shoved – into the chamber he was told the High Council awaited him in.

As he stumbled out into the chamber his eyes rapidly scanned the room. Abruptly, he realized that the minimal preparation he had received from Eyarra was not nearly enough to ready him. His gaze locked upon each of the twelve women around him in turn, and on their faces he found a mixture of reactions.

There were four tables, each of them seating three women of similar appearances. Behind him and to his left were three reasonably normal-looking women. The first one had shoulder-length brown hair, plump pink lips, and… red eyes? Well, not the strangest thing he had ever seen. The second had blonde hair that fell down her back; he couldn’t see how far. Her eyes were green, and to all appearances she was normal. The third was what caught his attention.

She wore a bow across her back, though like the others she had no clothes except the straps for the quiver and weapon. She had a white design on her forehead almost looking like an intricate, upside-down tiara with the point nearly to the bridge of her nose. Two thin scars, barely there at all, lined her left cheekbone. Her hair was jet-black, with a short pixie cut that had to be less than two inches long, at most. What drew his attention was what it revealed. With such short hair, her ears were clearly visible. Her pointy, slightly elongated ears. Hadrian couldn’t help but wonder if all of them had such ears. Then again, compared to the Kitsune, they had ears that were virtually identical to his own.

The next table seemed normal, for a moment or two. They looked like ordinary women, identical triplets. Each had medium-length strawberry-blonde hair and very pointed faces. Unlike the other three, who remained stoic and returned Hadrian’s gaze with calm interest, these women showed some degree of reaction as Hadrian looked upon them. The first covered her mouth, apparently stifling a giggle. The second outright blushed but refused to look away, and- what had happened to the third?

The third girl was gone, or so it seemed; in her place sat the last girl from the first table, the one with the pointed ears! Hadrian looked back but saw she hadn’t moved. The third girl from the first table looked confused at his reaction, but the third one just snickered.

“Sorry, I thought this form might please you more.” She innocently toyed with her raven locks as her blonde table-mates rolled their eyes.

“I don’t- what do you mean this form?”

Before Hadrian’s eyes, the woman’s form melded back to how it was before. He blinked several times and took a step backward.

“I knew we shouldn’t have left Eyarra to this. Lord, please tell us, did she prepare you for this meeting at all? Or did she simply enjoy having you to herself while she could?”

Hadrian turned to the table behind him and to his right, and at last saw some semi-familiar faces. Kitsunes, three of them, and all of extremely very vivid colors.

The one to the left had six tails, each of them a very light blue. Teal, was that the word? They had a small tuft of white at the end of each one too. Her ears were of a similar coloration, as were her lips, though her lips lacked any white markings. He couldn’t quite see whether the coloring to her lips was natural or makeup. The one in the middle had eight tails, all of them a brilliant red and orange mixture, as if they’d been individually dyed in a fiery swathe. Her hair and lips were a bright but somehow dulled color of red, blending it more naturally with the color of her skin. Then there was the third one. She had a mixture of colors, like the second one, but instead of blending together they were linked in intricate patterns that travelled all the way up her tails to the very tips. Black fur and violet markings, bright ones that were clearly visible where they lay upon the fur, nearly glowing even in the lit room. The violet tattoos looked like they’d been painteds on, almost, except that it was clearly a part of the fur. Her face seemed unmarred, and the hair on top of her head was rather more like the red one’s, as the blacks and violets in her hair shifted tone and brightness and blended together. 

“I, well… she told me that there would be a gathering of twelve people at four tables, three leaders and a table from each of the four nations. She said some of them would look different from myself, and that I shouldn’t expect all of them to look like her, either. I don’t really know-“

“I do. That would be us, assuming you’re looking for the ones most different from yourself.”

As he turned to the final table, he could not even hope to hide the shock in his eyes. Sitting behind it were three women so different he had little doubt in his mind that these three were not of the same race as each other, like the other tables seemed to be. Whatever – whoever – they were, they were more beast than human, or at least a close balance of the two. The woman on the left seemed normal, for the most part. In fact, Hadrian didn’t notice anything unusual about her until he noticed the long, coiling tail that was extruding out beside the desk. It actively twitched, and while he glanced over her she toyed with the tip, which sat upon her desk. Above the waist, the only thing that hinted at her unusual nature were a cluster of scales around her hip that he could barely make out above the line of the desk, and the fact that when she smiled at him, he could see fangs.

The second one, he couldn’t have even pretended to not notice. Her head was normal, and although skinnier than he could imagine was healthy for a normal human being, her torso was as well. But rather than arms, she had shoulders that led briefly into flesh, and then transitioned into great, cerulean wings, so beautiful he couldn’t quite understand how natural feathers could blend so seamlessly into such perfect symphony. It looked, rather than a normal wing, like a thin, smooth blanket cut into a perfect mimicry of a wing. She flexed them idly, as if noticing his attentions and trying to give him a better look. As she flexed out the wings, he noted that he could see the feathers as she moved, but almost as soon as they settled into their new positions they were once again near seamless.

Still, the third seat was the one that looked most obviously non-human, given that it was more than her arms that were transformed. She stood several inches taller than most of the other women, and her ears were more noticeable than the elves. They were pointed similarly, but larger and less humanoid; they instead looked more like cones, none of the softness or contours of a humanoid ear. Her face was mostly humanoid, but she had a slight distension to it he couldn’t place immediately, until he noticed the rest of her features. Her torso was close to a human’s, except that the complexion of her skin was closer to yellow than any natural color. And nearly six inches down any of her limbs he could see, the yellowish skin gave way to light golden scales that glistened in the bright candlelight illuminating the room.

Hadrian was rather overwhelmed with the overall differences, but now that he’d had his chance to examine them, the girls seemed more than willing to talk, if he wasn’t.

“Well then, Lord, are you going to introduce yourself to us? We can only talk for so long without knowing each other’s names before it becomes simply rude.”

The nine-tailed Kitsune had been the one to speak. She gestured to the very first table he’d glanced at, the one with the elves. “Why not start out with yourself, then proceed in the manner you already seem to have chosen?”

She had a regal air about her. Not a superiority issue, considering how openly and friendly her posture and tone were, but… rather than trying to make herself seem elegant, she just radiated a certain nobility. Hadrian decided not to question her.

“My name is Hadrian. I’m… somewhere around twenty-six. I think. Kind of still making up my mind, actually; I think I’ve already changed back and forth between a few numbers as my memory shifts. I don’t know anything about myself, or anything about this world. I woke up here in what Eyarra called the Altar of the Lord…” Hadrian paused briefly, casting a glance behind him to verify the name was correct. Eyarra gave him a subtle nod, and he continued on quickly.

“…and I haven’t been told much aside from my title and that I apparently have a servant. Servants. And that… I’m some kind of leader,” he added after a moment, a little befuddled by having to say such things.

There were hushed murmurs. No talks occurred across the tables for the most part, other than brief glances and subtle gestures, but there was obviously quite a lot of interest about Hadrian and his lack of a past.

“Well then, I suppose we should start off our end of the introductions.”

The raven-haired elf woman spoke calmly, gesturing one by one to the two elves to her right, Hadrian’s left, starting with the one farthest from her.

“This is the Elven Ophanim, Valeera. She’s a hundred and seventy-five thousand, two-hundred and thirty-seven, and she’s currently the head of the Agricultural Experimentation Committee.”

“It’s a pleasure,” the auburn-haired elf said with a soft smile.

Hadrian couldn’t quite take in the titles. He felt… almost cowed by the age that the woman had stated as if it were nothing. The amount of knowledge and experience she must’ve had… honestly, that single number was more shocking to him than at least two-thirds of the table filled with animalistic women.

“Next to me is the Elven Cherubim, Saylati. She’s just over fifty thousand, and she acts as the official leader of day-to-day matters, as the High Chancellor of the Elven Forests’ Senate.”

Saylati gave nothing more than a curt bow of her head and a fairly extravagant hand gesture, but Hadrian swore there was something about her that exuded friendliness despite the fact she had yet to say a word.

“Finally, I am Alonna, the Elven Seraph. I am one-hundred and twenty-two thousand, six-hundred and seven years old. I serve as the speaker for the elves on the High Council and have been appointed as the Lord’s personal bodyguard for the day that he shall arrive. As the High Council will seldom meet without the Lord present, if it does not displease you I shall follow you from this day forward and act as your personal protector from any manner of dangers that assail you.”

“What dangers exist in this world that would threaten the… me?” Hadrian asked, eyeing the bow on her back. Suddenly it made perfect sense why she was the only one who had entered the chamber armed.

“Though we have kept them to a minimum,” she said lightly, fingering the shaft of the bow as if subconsciously, “there are a few places where the Rifts have begun to open, especially in the southern peninsula. The jungle there makes tracking and locating the rifts-“

“Perhaps,” a soft voice cut in over Alonna’s words, “we should focus on introductions before we begin to explain such complex matters to him. It is, after all, still his first day here.”

Hadrian turned to the voice and spotted the middle woman of the table with the three identical – well, no longer identical – women sitting beside each other. Now, it seemed, the one in the middle had taken to a more tribal look. Hadrian had no idea how it was that they did it, but she’d altered her skin to be much darker than it had been originally, with several markings on her face and arms; everything else was covered, as her outfit had remained virtually the same. He couldn’t say why she had done it, as nothing else in the room looked similar, but she gave him a small wink all the same.

“We have no ranks among our species save for positions on councils, nor do we track our age as most others do. I will simply state that my name is Portrayyas, and these are my fellow High Council members, Ettiira and Terrnas. I have seen the shock on your face, and though explanations need be kept for a moment, I will still your questions by simply saying that our race is known for their… adaptability. Particularly when it comes to appearances.”

The knowing smile told Hadrian he would get no more, and it was matched by almost perfectly identical (shocker) smiles from the other two beside her. He shook his head and turned to the next table – the Kitsune, the ones he had originally skipped over when the bestial girls behind him drew his attention.

“I know you are more familiar with our race,” the violet-and-black kitsune led with, raising an eyebrow. “So I’ll be short. My name is Qiala, and I am the eldest Kitsune. I stopped counting my age nearly three hundred millennia ago, and I have been the speaker for the High Council for twenty of them, a member for two hundred and seven. I have retired from all of my positions, save for this one, and I spend most of my time engaged with my own experimentation in my home in the deep reaches of Kitsune lands.”

She gave a quick gesture to the two beside her. “This blue Kitsune is my sister, Freya. She’s the Archmagus of our Academy, and has been for the past two thousand years. She’s younger than I by about twenty-five thousand years. This fiery little Kitsune to my right is my mate, Xintha. She’s almost a hundred and fifty thousand years old, and has been the leader of the Inquisition for the past seven years.”

 _”Someone who’s actually new to their position, at last,”_ Hadrian couldn’t help but think to himself. He nodded at each of them, and turned to the last table, the one with the most varied groups. The girl with the scaled arms stood from her chair, exposing everything above her lower thighs to the room. Hadrian could see the golden scales on her legs matched the ones on her arms, and that they seemed to cover all of her body save for her face, abdomen, and the glistening slit between her legs. She gave a grand gesture to herself and the other two seated at her table before being seated.

“We are the Ferals. Our race is relatively new to the High Council; we only joined some hundred and twenty thousand years ago. I can see in your eyes you’ve already realized how varied we are; each tribe and in some cases each family in the Feral lands is vastly different. Still, all those who dwell within the southern peninsula, and the nearby islands, are considered as one race. As far as species…”

She gestured briefly to the girl at the end of the table, the one with the orange-scaled snake tail. “This is Elysse, one of the Naga. She’s seven thousand years old, has a potency for magic the likes of which could rival a Kitsune, and is the second-eldest of her Tribe. To my right is Varrite. She’s the leader of the Verdant Pass Guards, and I’ve yet to meet any Rift being that can defeat her, in the sky or on the ground. My name is Kil’tair, and I am the commander of the Lord’s Royal Guard. If you seek to leave the city and travel anywhere, all you need do is say the word and we will accompany you, no matter how far or how long your journey, and ensure that you do not fall victim to any of the Rifts.”

Hadrian looked around, trying his best to appear confident as he took in all of this information. A personal bodyguard, and an entire guard that would accompany him across the world, as well as something called “Rifts” that apparently posed such a great threat that it made all of these things necessary? Not to mention the existence of races, what he heard as no less than three continents, and people literally thousands of times older than him. There was very little reason for him to appear confident in any way, but somehow he managed to pull it off.

“Alright, then. Where do we start with my worldly education?”

“I believe this should help. When I learned from Eyarra that you had no memories,” the voice of Qiala faded a bit as she ducked under the desk for a moment, “I brought this.”

A massive book, one that must’ve been nearly two-thousand pages thick, was plopped somewhat unceremoniously onto the desk in front of her.

“It is a basic history of our people, the Kitsune; at least as far as we have shared with other races. The others are already aware of this, but you should know the Kitsune are rather secretive, or have been in the past. Either way, this will start you off. You can ask any questions this book raises for you, and I will be happy to answer, either about our race or the world in general. Then, each of the others can continue on, and-“

“I should say that none of us have any particular desire to spend weeks going over the history we already know,” Varrite interjected, waving a winged arm at the Kitsune. “Perhaps there’s a better way?”

Qiala shrugged, putting the book away with a touch more tact than she’d brought it out with. “Perhaps. Not everyone has the taste for intellectual pursuits that we do, I understand that.”

“A book is hardly the correct way to teach someone with no background; that history was written for scholars, not a man who – from what we’ve heard – only learned what a Kitsune even was a few short days ago,” the elf Saylati interjected.

“I… have to admit, perhaps it would be better if we called this meeting to an end?” Hadrian said, shrugging. When all eyes turned to him, he shrank back a bit, but continued on.

“I have a great deal to learn about the world. The way you all act, the fact that we’re even here… like this… naked,” he said, forcing out the last word, realizing his embarrassment was only making him stand out more, “not to mention your appearances, and magic… I have no memories, but all of this still seems unnatural in a way I can’t understand. And all of it is such basic material that you probably wouldn’t even think to teach me; from the shock Eyarra displayed, it seems almost like teaching someone how to breathe – you’d never think to teach it because you just assume everyone understands the concept. Rather than teaching me through education, or even through questions, I want to learn by experience. Take me out into the world, or at least out into the city, this city, the…”

“Rafflesia City,” Terrnas interjected, sensing the unasked question.

“Thank you, Terrnas,” Hadrian said, giving a nod in her direction. “Do you all have any duties which require you to leave the city?”

There were a set of shaken heads, and Qiala spoke up again.

“Many of us have positions outside of this city, but as members of the High Council we have steps taken to ensure that we can fulfill the duties while remaining here, in case our attentions are ever required. Those of us who cannot fulfill all of our responsibilities from here have subordinates who are just as capable as we are.”

Murmurs of agreement reached his ears, and Hadrian nodded sagely. “Then… yes, staying with each of you for one month gives me an entire year to learn what I need to understand this world. Hopefully that will be enough. Then I can worry about the actual title and what you all expect of me. I ask your patience, and since most of you here are over ten thousand years old, I hope that asking one year will not be more than any of you expect. That being said… Eyarra told me the Lord is able to invite anyone he wishes to stay in his quarters; I have a hundred and twenty-five beds. It would greatly honor me if all of you would join me for the next year. I may only plan to shadow one of you at a time, but you are all welcome to stay.”

There was, for the first time since he announced his lack of memory, a brief moment of shock in the room. Some of the High Council members were frozen in silence, taking a few moments to absorb what he’d just said; others were whispering, some looking quite animated. The elves were remaining silent, though he couldn’t tell whether in shock or composure, while the morphs all seemed quite eager, chattering between themselves. The Kitsunes and the Ferals were showing a great deal of mixed reaction.

“I for one can safely say my opinion is shared by my fellow Morphs of the High Council when I say… we would more than honored to accept this gracious offer.”

Portrayyas’ words were very much appreciated. Hadrian bowed his head, pleased that at least some of them were happy with the idea.

“We, too, would gratefully accept this offer,” Alonna said quietly. The elves merely nodded their heads in acquiescence.

“We wish to remain in our own quarters,” Kil’tair said, her voice firm but not, perhaps, harsh. “We prefer to remain among our own kind, or rather, those we trust. While we have all been on the High Council for thousands of years, our meetings number in only the dozens, and we have very little personal knowledge of each other. Without the Lord, we have had few reasons to meet, and you ask many of us to share dwellings. Such close quarters could create… tension.”

“That shouldn’t be a problem. Eyarra, you said there were one hundred and twenty-five beds, yes?” The Kitsune, apparently having been at full attention as the conversation continued, nodded furiously. “How many of them are in their own rooms?”

“Well, the three Guest Wings on the first floor each have twelve beds, then the second floor… well, the third-“

Hadrian lost track of what she was saying, for a moment consumed by the fact that his Living Quarters had at least three floors. He brushed it off just in time to catch the ending, though.

“-would probably be the fourth floor, where there are six rooms accommodating one person each, or if you would all prefer, you could stay on the third floor, where there are two rooms small enough for four people to reside in them; my sisters and I can easily have a bed removed from one of them to make it more spacious and pleasant. As the Living Quarters are empty aside from yourself, it shouldn’t cause any issue for you or them, either way.”

“Fair enough. So, would you accept the offer under those conditions? Assuming that the others agree, you’ll likely have your own floor, so-“

“The fourth floor will be fine. We are thankful for your consideration of our request, Lord.”

Hadrian nodded. She seemed rather a bit less… poised than the others, though perhaps not in a bad way. She came off rough, but Hadrian didn’t feel like it was to be intentionally off-putting. In fact, despite their appearances and sometimes cold demeanors, Hadrian didn’t think any of them were particularly threatening. They all seemed genuinely interested in him, and curious, not dangerous.

Though, that could change with time…

“We see no reason to hold back the High Council. We shall happily join you, and we are certainly looking forward to our turns…” Qiala said wryly, and for the first time Hadrian thought he saw something other than composure in those eyes.

“Simply for the sake of fairness, perhaps we should simply go around the room, then. So, Valeera, would you do me the pleasure of being the first person to accompany me?”

The edges of Valeera’s lips touched upward as she bowed her head. “’twould be an honor, and a pleasure as well I should hope.”

Hadrian blushed, but there were no reactions from the other women aside from some muttering. Hadrian shrugged and watched as Valeera strode from her position to his side. “Lead the way to your quarters, Lord, and we can begin your education.”

"Well then, it seems that’s all that needs to be done. Eyarra, you mentioned something about sisters… are they available?”

“That depends Lord, what for?” She asked innocently.

“I was hoping you could all prepare the rooms as needed for the High Council. I assume they’ve been mostly kept in living conditions, but if there’s anything left to be done, and to remove some of the beds…” Hadrian trailed off, assuming Eyarra would know far more about what was needed than he did.

“Absolutely. I can contact them immediately, I just need a moment,” Eyarra said, swiftly moving across the room and heading for the doors. Hadrian nodded, confident what needed to be done would probably be handled before they even arrived.

“If there are no further matters, I call this meeting to an end. I can do that, right?" Hadrian asked, looking around for confirmation.

"Technically no,” Portrayyas said, hand on her chin. “As the High Council are the only ones capable of overruling you with a unanimous vote, we're the only ones who can end one of our own meetings... but I should think we're all in agreement on ending it this time, yes?"

There were a chorus of nods from everyone else. Hadrian clapped once and then looked over toward the door before he glanced at the woman standing by his side.

"So, the uh... the Elven Ophanim then? First question, what exactly does that title mean?"

She just smiled at him. "Not to worry, Lord. We should at least be comfortable. We have an entire month for you to learn everything there is to know about me, as well as this world."

Hadrian nodded. "It seems that I will be needing a great deal more than that."

"Oh, but that is the most wonderful thing about Rafflesia," the elven woman said, laughing with a voice like the tinkling of chimes. "Some of us in this room have grown so old that we do not even count our age any more, and we still have not uncovered one thousandth of one percent of all the mysteries that there are to be revealed in this world. Give yourself to Rafflesia and time will cease to have any meaning at all."

Whether that was a good thing or a bad thing remained to be decided.

"Lord, my sisters have prepared the rooms," Eyarra said quietly from behind him. "The Ferals can stay in their own rooms on the fourth floor, while the Morphs and Elves have opted to use two of the rooms on the third floor meant for four guests, adapted to fit three each. The Kitsune requested their own floor as well, regarding magical experimentations; I granted this request and placed them on the ground floor, in one of the rooms originally meant for six. I hope that's acceptable. They've also requested access to your facilities in regards to the same; I told them I would ask on your behalf, and-"

"Eyarra, it's fine. Give them access, and take it easy. I fully expect it to take a lot of work to get everyone settled in, but there's no need to stress."

"Stress? Oh no, I'm excited. I've been doing maintenance and cleaning on these rooms for nearly ten thousand years with no one to take advantage of it; having so many guests is like a dream come true after such a long wait!"

Eyarra was gone after saying that, giving a quick curtsy as she rapidly moved toward the Kitsunes, relaying the news.

Hadrian shook his head and laughed. If everyone here was as enthusiastic about teaching him as Eyarra was about taking care of his home, perhaps he wouldn’t need a year after all.

~~~~

Hadrian followed the High Council back toward the chambers, watching as they filed away one by one. Eyarra, as well as two Kitsunes he didn’t recognize, constantly appeared in doorways and hallways, gesturing toward one or more of the group and usually taking them toward a staircase. He assumed the Kitsunes were her sisters, one a brilliant pink color and the other a nearly-golden yellow, with a few markings across their bodies in different shades.

Eventually the only person that was left was Valeera, who accompanied him all the way to his room. He hadn’t actually thought that she would want to start on the questions so early, but the day was still young. Actually, he was going to have to see about food. He hadn’t found anything to eat since the snacks Eyarra had brought to his room… and he’d probably worked those off shortly after. Not to mention water, although he’d been having fluids…

A blush colored Hadrian’s face as he found himself unable to avoid recalling the last time he’d escorted someone to his room, but he was at least able to keep that much of his reaction secret, or so he hoped. He tried to keep his face pointed toward the windows as Eyarra appeared in front of them and pulled open the doors, though in hindsight that probably only made his discomfort more obvious.

As the doors shut behind them, Valeera moved over to the bed without hesitation, brushing her hair back and staring around.

“A bit barren… I’ll be sure to introduce you to some of the Elven carpenters – they can have this room furnished to your desires within the month, and they’ll do it in a manner so beautiful it could make a lesser being cry at its splendor.”

“That sounds wonderful, if strange,” Hadrian murmured, walking over to the windows and staring out. He’d never actually left the room until the High Council meeting, but Eyarra had occasionally left his side to retrieve things, so he’d occupied himself by staring out the window. It was quite a view.

It looked over a massive, sprawling city that covered the landscape as far as the eye could see. But despite that, it almost looked natural, despite being as man-made as possible. There were almost as many trees as there were homes, maybe more, and buildings were far apart and reasonably elaborate. Long, cobblestone streets linked them, leading off into the horizon before even considering stopping. It gave him the idea that this world truly was vast; so vast he’d never live long enough to see every inch of it.

“Rafflesia City is a rather inspiring view, isn’t it?”

Valeera had approached him from behind; he hadn’t noticed until her voice appeared right behind him. Before he had the chance to turn and address her, the Elven woman wrapped her arms around him and pulled her body tight to his, her chin resting on his shoulder to share in the view.

Despite what he thought at least _might_ have been an innocent gesture, Hadrian couldn’t stop his own reaction. Neither of them had changed after the High Council meeting, and he could feel her entire body pressing into his back. Most noticeable were the two warm mounds pressing into his shoulder blades, and he couldn’t keep still enough to ignore them.

“The Lord’s always had the best chambers. I spend little time in this city, but even I’ve always recognized that. Looking out over the entire city, and in a way the entire kingdom. The High Council have their quarters across the city, though none so nice as this… mine is a manor on the northern side, with a one-room tower that goes above the rest of the house, and a great bay window overlooking everything to the south.”

Her hands wrapped around his body even tighter, and slowly, she trailed her fingertips down his abdomen. The tickling sensation of those long, slightly sharpened fingernails left him torn between laughter and arousal.

“Sometimes I like to look out that window and think of all the wonderful things out there people are doing… all the intimacy and pleasure they’re sharing, all the people who found someone new today, and most of all… every last hole that’s being filled.”

Hadrian couldn’t help the reaction he had to those words; even if they weren’t especially erotic until the end, the sultry tone of her voice was enough to send chills up his spine. Besides, it wasn’t like he hadn’t expected this to happen when he invited the High Council to stay with him… though perhaps not quite so soon.

Either way, he was growing more confident now that he at least had some idea of where he was and what was happening, even if it was all still so very far over his head. That gave him just enough bravery to turn into her grip, leaving her grasping his lower back as he reached around behind the elven woman and gripped both of her petite, tight cheeks. He pulled her tightly to him, feeling his hardness rubbing against her womanhood. Without clothes, the embrace was intimate from the moment he’d turned around.

“Shall we add yours, holes, to the list of holes… being filled?” Hadrian couldn’t help but stumble as he stared into her eyes. The sheer radiating confidence the woman had in her eyes was enough to set him off of his former glory, and quickly reminded him just how out of place he really felt.

But that didn’t seem to bother her. If anything, her smile widened.

“My, it’s no wonder Eyarra spent so much time with you. By our toy standards this is… quite large,” Valeera said, trailing her fingers around his sides until she was lightly caressing his shaft, running her fingers from tip to base, over and over. Her touch was like silk, and twice as pleasurable.

“Am I truly the only male in this entire world?” Hadrian asked, starting to gently knead her soft flesh in his hands. She gave a soft moan, one of arousal more than any real pleasure yet, and leaned her head in close to his neck. As she spoke, her breath tickled at the nape.

“Mmm, until the Lord’s prophecy we didn’t even realize there was such a thing. Even what crude drawings we had of your anatomy were enough to base a few objects off of, but… my, this is so much more fun than the fake ones.”

Valeera wrapped her hand around the object, and began to slowly and methodically pump up and down. Her confidence remained, but Hadrian could tell she was oddly… inexperienced. Her sexuality and the very aura of lust she put out was enough to make up for it, but Hadrian could tell just by the way she was exploring him that it really was her first time handling a dick.

That alone restored some of Hadrian’s confidence. Gently, he turned, never breaking contact with Valeera’s soft ass or removing her hand from his member as he pulled them around and pressed her backside up against the glass windows. Thankfully they seemed strong, because the moment he did so she groaned and he felt a great deal of her weight sink onto the glass.

“Feel like showing off?” Valeera teased as her thumb moved up to circle Hadrian’s head. Drops of pre were starting to come out, and she was quick to use them to lube up his head, adding to the pleasure.

“I thought you’d enjoy getting to let others see you for a change,” Hadrian said. His head dove downward then, his hands leaving her ass cheeks in order to let them flatten out fully against the glass. Instead they ran along Valeera’s sides sensually, while his mouth opened up to fully take in her right nipple and begin licking at the hardening mound. Valeera let out her first moan of real stimulation, the first of many if Hadrian had to say anything about it, and started to laugh.

“I suppose I can be an exhibitionist now and then too… well, what do you say we really get started then? I’m quite ready, Lord. Just thinking about getting to be the first of the High Council to stay with you, much less spending an entire month in your quarters…”

A small shiver ran down her spine as she started to gyrate her hips against him. He could feel it quite easily; her inner thighs were soaked with her essence, and the more she ground herself into him the more he wanted to pierce into her, to feel her tightness engulfing him. And with permission, who was he to delay?

Hadrian pulled a hand away from her side to aim his tip at her entrance. She shuddered one last time before suddenly thrusting herself downward, not giving Hadrian the chance to do it himself. Valeera split around him readily thanks to her arousal, but the feeling of her insides were so incredible that it caused Hadrian to gasp and pull himself to her, resting against her body and the cool glass.

“Your pussy, it’s…” Hadrian took a deep breath to calm himself, feeling somewhat odd using such vulgar words around a woman who until recently had presented herself as nearly unerringly regal. “It’s so smooth, it’s like it’s fitting right around me.”

“Age brings experience…” Valeera said simply, and began to move herself back and forth. Though the motion was small and barely visible, it felt like her walls were twisting around, trying to wring out everything Hadrian had. The stimulation was incredible, and while she kept the movement to a minimum, Hadrian found himself thrusting wildly in a matter of seconds.

“Oh… my… not so hard, dear… don’t want to break the glass,” Valeera chided lightly, unable to keep the smile off her face. Hadrian chuckled as he took the pace down a notch. “But I appreciate the enthusiasm…”

She started to constrict her velvety walls, adding to her already impressive tightness, gripping and petting his member. Hadrian pushed all that he could, trying to make up for a lack of force and speed with depth and passion. He leaned forward and locked lips with Valeera, immediately feeling her latch on and rub against her lips with her tongue. Hadrian met her there, allowing her just enough entrance to let them both grind against his front teeth as they tasted each other. When she withdrew slightly he leaned forward and gently nibbled on her lower lip, earning a soft moan as he slid in with a particularly forceful thrust at the same moment.

“Mmm… very good,” Valeera said softly as she looked down. She seemed almost enraptured watching Hadrian drive his tool in and out of her body, as if feeling alone wasn’t enough to believe what was happening. “I was very, very right before… this is so very much better than one of our toys. So hard, so soft, and so goooood. Try aiming it up a little bit more, like-“

Hadrian changed the angle of his thrust slightly and went hard but slow, grinding the head of his cock along her upper walls. Her sentence cut off immediately as she struggled to find the words to finish it. Hadrian took advantage to continue pressing that same spot, making her every moment one of as much ecstasy as he could bring to her.

“Yes, I- oh, it’s been so long… I don’t know how much longer I can keep this up, it’s just… oh…” Valeera was losing some of her composure now, and Hadrian was happy to try to push her over that edge. He pressed up against her g-spot with all his might and slammed his hips into hers, feeling the glass shaking with each thrust. Hadrian had to make his time count – the elf’s slick walls were milking him so hard that he knew he didn’t have much left in himself either.

“I’m gonna come…” Hadrian announced as his pacing became suddenly erratic.

“I… I’m… I already am,” Valeera gasped, as she suddenly began to convulse, her entire body quivering as she felt a tidal wave of an orgasm washing over her body. The soft walls of her pussy clenched down, becoming so tight and firm it felt like they were trying to squeeze the orgasm out of Hadrian. The young man didn’t need much coaxing; he was so close already that as he lost the ability to thrust he simply made one last, deep push and let his seed fly just as Valeera was opening her mouth in a wail of pleasure.

Hadrian sat inside for a few moments, feeling the sweat roll down his body while still struggling to hold up the elf’s leg. She smiled at him after a few seconds of panting heavily, brushing his hand away and sliding him out of her. Hadrian’s seed dripped slowly out of her, falling to and beginning to stain the carpet.

Hadrian glanced up at the elf’s satisfied eyes, becoming abruptly nervous. “So… that was a good first lesson, I think.”

Valeera just rolled her head back and laughed.


	3. Education

"So, I suppose we should begin your intellectual lessons, yes?"

"That would... probably be for the best, yes. Not that I haven't enjoyed these past few hours," Hadrian said, laughing a little bit, mostly out of awkwardness. Despite the wonderful bed, the long and fulfilling night he'd had, and the deliciousness of the meal they'd just shared, he was still not quite used to the lack of clothing. He wasn't even sure if it was that abnormal, given his lack of memories, but it certainly felt that way. If it wasn't for the table they were sitting at preventing any chance of seeing below the waist, he probably would've been blushing every time he looked Valeera in the eye.

Of course, given how much of the tall elven women was still above the table, he was having a hard time keeping his eyes at head level anyway.

"I assure you, the pleasure has been both of ours," Valeera said with a smirk. "But that can wait, for a time at least. Now, what exactly would you like to start with? Personal matters, like myself? Perhaps the history of the Lord and what we know about you? Other than those you'll need to pick a specific topic and start there; unlike that Kitsune, I have no interest in trying to teach you everything we've ever learned at once. It'd take far more than the month we have for one thing, and for another I'm sure you're not as interested in each topic as the next. So I'll let you pick."

"I don't even know where to begin, but... tell me about yourself, would you? If we're going to be spending the next month together, I'd like to know a little bit more about you, personally, before we study the world."

"Very well, I think I can manage that much," she said dryly, putting down her cup. "Eyarra, could you possibly remove this for us?"

"I don't think Eyarra is-"

The doors opened before Hadrian could even properly object. Eyarra strolled in with a cart, her hips swaying and a bright smile on her face. Her eyes were nearly closed, though Hadrian could see them flitting back and forth over the room with interest.

"I do hope it was to satisfaction," Eyarra said with a swish of her tails. "Juuraa was injured in an experiment earlier this morning, so I assisted with the preparation of the tea."

"Was she the only one in the kitchen?" Hadrian asked out of curiosity.

"Oh, no, we have four others," Eyarra replied as she whisked all of the dishes and trays back onto a cart. "But with the castle servants, the Lord himself appearing, and twelve more guests, they're a bit out of practice preparing meals for this many people. I simply wished to keep things running smoothly."

In moments she'd gathered everything and then vanished out the door, no doubt taking all of them toward the kitchen. Hadrian wiped at his forehead in shock.

"She's very dedicated," Hadrian said toward Valeera.

"Of course. She's the keeper of the Lord's castle and grounds, the head keeper at that. Eyarra takes her position and the prestige that comes with it very seriously. Even with a baker's dozen new inhabitants, I'd be amazed if we see so much as a stain anywhere within these halls for more than an instant."

Hadrian shook his head and laughed. "What does she get paid in? Because it's certainly not enough."

"The way she works the job? No, it's probably not."

Hadrian looked out the window, staring out across the city, wondering how many people there were. "So, the Elven Ophanim? What exactly does that entail?"

"A lot of boring paperwork, really," she said with a smile. “More often than not it's all about research proposals and land management. I'm the head of the Agricultural Experimentation Committee in our land - that means I need to not only approve any new experiments but determine how to best divide up our lands. Given the size of the Elven lands, it's quite a sizable task, and since we produce most of the food for the other races as well, we cannot afford to poorly balance our experiments with nature and our simple farming for more than a season before it starts to affect everyone."

"I see. Well, that's impressive to say the least," Hadrian said, looking into Valeera's eyes. "But let's hear a little bit more about you. What do you do when none of that requires your attention?"

She looked up toward the sky, rubbing at her chin. "Well, aside from the matters of policy, I obviously enjoy agriculture, both in and out of my professional duties. The central government doesn't meet very often, but we're still required to be able to remain in the city at will. Unlike most of the others I simply choose to reside here permanently, so... when I'm not too busy I tend to my personal garden. I'm also a fan of the theater here, but I'm afraid to say it's been quite a while since I saw a thrilling showing."

"Any close friends in the city?" Hadrian asked, looking outside. "I assume all the members of the High Council must have those who look up to them, if nothing else."

"Oh, most certainly. Rafflesia City is one of the most understanding places in the entire continent; the population is about 500,000, and all but a thousand or so are mixed-race couples who choose to live here. If anyone is going to overlook a status or race, it's those who reside here."

Valeera took a long second to stand up and stretch before sitting back down. It gave Hadrian a moment to think about something that really should've probably bothered him a while ago.

"If I'm the only male, how exactly do you all reproduce?" Hadrian asked, leaning forward and resting his head on his interlaced fingers. "As far as I'm aware, that requires a man. Or have you all been alive since this world was created? You seem to be rather immortal."

Valeera laughed long and hard, a somewhat uncontrolled one compared to the others Hadrian had seen. Hadrian raised an eyebrow, but waited until she brought herself under control.

"Sorry, that was uncalled for," Valeera said as she dabbed at her eyes. "I just thought of your comment earlier, about how we wouldn't think to teach someone of your age a basic fact. I only just realized how right you are. We have always been able to reproduce; as immortal as we may seem, given enough time everyone eventually passes, though you are right in that it is rarely because of natural causes. There is a special ritual we can undergo, after which the two parties enjoy themselves as they would on any other day. It's almost one hundred percent effective, and it takes only a few minutes. Did you really have nothing like this where you were from?"

Hadrian shrugged. "I guess I don't remember, if we did. The only way I knew of was for a male to release inside of... wait, uh... you won't..."

Valeera stared into Hadrian's eyes mischievously. It seemed like she clearly understood what he was going to ask, but refused to budge until he finished his question. He managed to finally gasp it all out in one breath rather than stumbling over himself.

"...AreyouandEyarragoingtogetpregnant?"

Valeera smiled a little wider, but then she looked thoughtful. Her eyes trailed all the way to the ceiling, and then back down. After that she just locked eyes with Hadrian and gave a soft shrug.

"I don't know. Anything's possible, I suppose. Normally it requires a ritual for us, but the Lord is an entirely different species compared to the average citizen. It's possible."

"You seem awfully unconcerned."

She rested her head on her hands and looked deep into Hadrian's eyes, her smile still present but being heavily outweighed by whatever it was bubbling up in her eyes.

"I wasn't planning on it, certainly... but if I'm blessed with the Lord's child I certainly won't hesitate to embrace it."

Hadrian rubbed at his eyes. "I wish I could return the degree of affection which you all seem to hold for me, just because of this position. Honestly, I feel like there's so much respect for a title I had no right to inherit."

"Lo, for though he shall not understand his greatness, the Lord holds within him the power of all. There exists no foe too great, no burden too heavy, no journey too long for the Lord. Support him and raise him to meet his tasks, and he shall return the favor to the entire world."

"That just seems... eerie," Hadrian said, laughing a little out of sheer nervousness.

"Prophecy often is; perhaps you would feel more comfortable if I put it like this: We all know what you are capable of, what your unique physiology and skills can accomplish, and we respect both the authority that has been gifted to you by right, and the power that we believe you to hold. In time, you will find yourself worthy of both of these things."

"You have a great deal of faith in me. Perhaps we could discuss more about the history of the Lord?"

"Perhaps. But, if it were not too much trouble, I would greatly prefer that this happen after we return from an afternoon break."

"Has it-" Hadrian looked outside the windows and noticed the sun had started to crest and fall toward the horizon. Between the meal and their conversation, it seemed like the afternoon really had come. How? Valeera certainly had a way of talking slowly, but he hadn't thought himself too enraptured by it to notice time passing. Something was strange about this place.

"Fret not. Time is often lost when in good company. As I said, I would appreciate a short break to recover. Last night's and this morning’s activities were some of the more vigorous I've had the pleasure of experiencing in the past few weeks, and I'm afraid they've still left me a bit exhausted. If you wouldn't mind, I would very much like to visit the Lord's Garden.

"Most of the castle, save for the area that we met in and some of the entrance hallways, have been sealed since its construction, but I've had a view of it on occasion. Another lesson on my species for you... elves are a very naturalistic people. We grow a very large portion of the kingdom's food, some eighty percent. We grow up in fields of bountiful harvests, we make our homes in the trees, we nurture and cultivate them until they grow to suit us. Our magical abilities are the only real limitation, and sometimes elves master the ability of cultivation without magical influence... or at least any real explicit magical abilities. We are at peace most when we are outdoors, preferably in an area we can be at one with nature. Soaking the rays up when laying naked in the grass, feeling the flowers around me reaching in..."

Valeera gave a long sigh, but for once it seemed like she was more at peace than aroused. Hadrian nodded, smiling openly at her.

“You want my permission, then?”

She nodded. “Your word is required for me to set foot in any room except for the most basic. Do you mind?”

“No, not at all. Please, go right ahead. You’re my guest – a little rest and relaxation is the least that I can offer you.”

“Mmm, thank you. Sorry for leaving like this, but I love getting to enjoy nature wherever I am, and if I stay here I’m afraid there won’t be much relaxing, no matter how tired I am.”

“It’s fine, don’t worry too much,” Hadrian laughed.

“Well then, I’ll be off. Do be careful, Lord, I wouldn’t want you missing me too much. I’m sure you’ll find something to occupy you until my return. If you do wander, I’ll send word when I have finished my time in the garden.”

Hadrian was uncertain as to which kind of lessons she had in mind. He’d find out later, he supposed. Until then, he was just going to have to find some other means of entertainment. A part of him wanted to visit the other council members, but given that he had no personal introduction to any of them, he wasn’t sure how awkward that might be.

Well, supposedly there was a lot more to this castle than just the Living Quarters. Maybe he could inspect the library, or the research facility. Hell, if the garden was nice enough to sit in for hours, perhaps he could lose himself in there for a while. Assuming Eyarra didn’t require privacy for whatever it was she was doing in there. Depending on just how much space there was, he could probably almost lose himself in the caste itself.

So he left the bedroom behind, donning the robe at the door. “Unusual” or not, he didn’t want to be uncomfortable while he was out exploring the castle. His castle. Whatever. The crimson carpeting under his bare feet was soft, and as he moved he almost felt like he was gliding.

The halls were mostly quiet. Occasionally, he would catch a sound from a stairway or a closed door, but he never ran into one of the High Council or Eyarra’s sisters. Admittedly, he did get a strange sense that someone was following him…

Eventually he came to the four-way intersection that marked the end of the Living Quarters. Hadrian slowed down a little as he continued on, looking for any indication of the library.

Unfortunately, the doors he was approaching were unmarked. He was going to have to open them up, one by one. The first was a circular, empty room with a tiled floor and walls. There was a large glass window and a door that Hadrian guessed led to the next room.

Rather than going inside Hadrian simply proceeded to the next set of doors. One of many sets. There were… actually there were rather a lot of them, at least two dozen and a few stairways. In the next pair he found a full chemistry set, filling an entire room with various fluids and beakers. As he ventured forward he found a room entirely filled with glowing pink lines, a room that seemed to be entirely made out of slush, including the very soft floors and every piece of furniture inside.

It took Hadrian nearly six more doors and passing by one of the staircases before he came to something that really drew his attention (and, honestly, that he felt safe even touching). As he pulled open a dark mahogany door, he saw nothing but shelves. Dozens – no , hundreds of them, stretching as far as the eye could see. Literally, because there were so many that he couldn’t see to the back of the room. Somewhere in the distance he saw a few spiral staircases dotted around, far enough apart that he couldn’t explain it. The doors to the room had been no more than a dozen feet down the hall from the last, but – but this room was easily three hundred feet wide! Probably more!

It took Hadrian several steps inside before he was able to successfully shut his mouth. Every shelf was labeled. Some said things like “Agriculture”, or “Flora”, “Fauna”. Others seemed to take up multiple shelves – he saw a “History, Section 6”. Given the size of each shelf, he could only imagine how detailed they must have been.

Hadrian lost himself for a while, weaving in between the shelves. There was a form of organization, but it seemed somewhat loose, maybe even random. Here, they were arranged by title; there, by author. Some places seemed to only be grouped into their categories, then chaotically strewn around the shelves.

Past the halfway point Hadrian had lost track of the door. Not that he minded – he could literally lose himself for hours just by looking at all the titles; if he started actually reading, he might lose himself forever amongst the pages. Hadrian pulled around a bookcase labeled “History of the Elves, part 32”, and ran headfirst into something oddly soft.

“Ouch! Oh, my, I’m sorry! I didn’t hear anyone come in I- I’m sorry, I don’t recognize you, who are you?”

As Hadrian steadied himself on the bookshelf, he saw a particularly cute woman pulling herself up off the floor. She had short black hair in a pixie cut, and strangely odd eyes – her pupils were white, surrounded by blue irises, and then returned to white. She was wearing a full-length gray dress that clung tightly to her lithe form. The pointed ears led Hadrian to see her as one of the elves.

“Uh, I’m Hadrian. Are you…”

“The librarian, yes,” she finished for him. Suddenly she seemed very interested in the details of a book on the shelf. She pulled it free and began leafing through as if it required immediate attention.

“I didn’t mean to disturb your work, I was just inspecting the building, and I stumbled upon the library, so I started looking for… wh-“ Hadrian paused, seeing that she was barely reacting to his words. “I guess I’ll just keep looking. Sorry again.”

“W-wait,” she called out, her voice suddenly frantic. Her arm shot out and grabbed his wrist, then immediately retracted as she started to look rather sheepish.

“You’re… him, aren’t you?” She said quietly.

“Probably, there’s only one ‘him’ around here, right? What is…” Hadrian trailed off as the woman held out the book she’d been examining. On one of the pages was a picture that caused his jaw to drop slightly.

It was a sketching of him. A scarily accurate one – right down to the haircut he currently sported, short as it was. Meanwhile, the woman simply continued to shyly beam at him, touching her fingers together in an apparent mixture of joy and anxiety. Hadrian didn’t really know how to feel about any of this – all that he knew was that until a few moments ago he’d thought nothing could shock him.

“So… this has to be real, right?” Hadrian asked, staring intently at the paper. “I doubt you did this since I got here… and-“

“There’s more… Lord…” she murmured, pointing to several of the other books. “All of these contain sketches and even a few paintings of you. One or two even contain Eylans, magical portraits… would you like to see them?”

“No, that’s… that’s fine,” Hadrian said quietly. He had no desire to see them, and he was quite certain that doing so might only unnerve him even more. “I believe you.”

That was… wow. The realization seemed to hit Hadrian all at once; he stumbled back a little, almost tripping over his own legs. The librarian quickly dashed forward and caught him by the arm, then blushed profusely and immediately resumed her previous position, quickly returning the book she was holding to its shelf. He’d not really lost his balance as much as his legs had simply given out from the shock. If nothing else, that had made it real what was going on… the idea that everyone but him seemed to have some kind of clue as to who and what he was… that was a lot for a man to take in.

“Are you alright? Should I send for Alonna? Perhaps the castle doctor?” The librarian had gone back to looking at him without meeting his eyes as soon as she released his arm, but her voice conveyed just how worried she actually was, despite it being almost nothing.

“Does the Lord require assistance?”

Hadrian jumped at the voice, and as soon as he did a hand was on his shoulder to steady him. Not the librarian’s, either. Hadrian spun, moving away from the hand, and it didn’t follow. Behind him was an elven woman, who he recognized immediately – by the weapon across her back, rather than her face.

“Alonna?” Hadrian questioned quickly. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m sorry, was I unclear before?” She said without hesitation. “I told you I would be following you from the meeting onward, did I not?”

“You… did, yes. But I didn’t see you following me, or hear you until just now.”

“Apologies Lord, there was not much time given for proper explanation as we swiftly ended that meeting. As your personal guard, it is my duty to be nearby at all times while you are within the castle, and to accompany you personally while you are in the city outside. If you choose to leave the city the guard will accompany you, of course. I remain out of sight unless called, however, as to avoid disturbing you. If you would prefer, I can stay by your side even within the castle.”

“No, it’s- I mean, if you- you just surprised me, that’s all,” Hadrian said, brushing himself off. “I appreciate the help, but I’m fine. Just taking all this in is all.”

“Very well. I’ll be back to my post then,” Alonna said, stepping around the bookshelf. Though there was utter silence as she moved, Hadrian suspected as soon as she was out of sight she was already gone. He halfway wondered where her ‘post’ was – and how she’d gotten to his side so fast.

“I’m very sorry… I didn’t mean to shock you with all this. I’d heard the Lord had come, but I was so into the book I didn’t hear you come in, and I didn’t recognize you because of how flustered I was and… oh, this is all just a dreadful first impression isn’t it?”

She had gone a little pale now, and Hadrian found himself missing the colorful blush. He thought about stepping forward to comfort her, but that would’ve only increased her unease. So he raised both hands in as calming a gesture as he could make, laughing a little to break the tension.

“Don’t worry, I’m pretty used to being shocked, and I’m kind of glad someone didn’t recognize me, even if it was only for a minute. Honestly, I’m… not really sure about this whole thing yet.”

“Well… I’m still very sorry. I should be taking more notice of this place, but only the High Council is allowed in here besides myself, and they meet so rarely I’m not used to visitors.”

“What do you do here all that time, then?” Hadrian asked, his shock evident.

“Oh, I make myself useful! I swear! I just-“

“Woah, woah. Take it easy. I just wondered, since nobody ever comes here, how you keep yourself from getting bored.”

The servant breathed a visible sigh of relief. “W-well, I have to dust the entire library every week, so I normally spend an hour or two a day to work on that. Then I help with any research the High Council has asked of me, and afterwards I’m usually allowed to read the books myself, as a reward for being here.”

“I can see how that would occupy your time… so many topics…” Hadrian said, gazing up at the shelf. “I’m sorry, I don’t even know your name. Care to share?”

“Uh, I’m Liirie,” she said bashfully.

“Pretty name. Not to sound rude, but what is different about your eyes? I’ve seen many new things since I came here, but your eyes being white stands out among them.”

She opened the very things Hadrian was talking about to the point that he could see every detail. “W-well, I am a morph, Lord.” That threw Hadrian back a bit, but he adjusted surprisingly well. After all, they were supposed to blend in, right?

“Do all morphs have those eyes?” Hadrian stopped for a moment, then realized he hadn’t really been close enough to get a good look at the eyes of anyone. Still, the way those pupils stood out he would’ve thought he’d have noticed them.

“Yes, it’s one of the only foolproof ways to tell a morph. We’re quite adaptable, as you well know.”

Even as she spoke, the librarian shifted into a slightly different form. The transition took a few seconds, but only halfway through Hadrian realized that she was turning into Alonna. The white marking on her forehead, the subtle scars on her cheek, and even the very muscular physique the elf possessed were all attributes fairly unique to the elven bodyguard. But true to her words, those eyes remained the same – though the irises shifted to the very subtly different blue hues of Alonna.

“Is there any… taboo to looking like someone else? Someone you know, or someone who might see you?” Hadrian asked, oddly uncomfortable with the idea of Alonna watching him speak with another Alonna.

“Depends on the person. Short term most consider it nothing more than a party trick, or a conversational point as I’m using it here, and so have little issue with it.” Despite her words Liirie was already turning back to her previous form. “As for long-term, most consider it a compliment. Still, it’s always best to ask, if you plan on adapting someone’s form in front of them. Alonna has already given clearance to most of the morphs that work in the castle – though I’m uncertain of her personal feelings regarding the matter. I deeply suspect that she simply finds it strategic for there to be others who resemble her around the castle, in case someone should ever think of attacking it.”

Hadrian nodded, looking around but unable to find any sign of the woman. He wondered just how seriously she took her job.

“Can I ask why you chose the appearance you have now?” Hadrian voiced without thinking.

“Sure! It’s from one of my favorite books!” Liirie smiled brightly, hugging herself with joy. “It’s the story of an elf who wanders from the forests seeking adventure, but discovers a roving band of the Rift Creatures who are terrorizing a town, and has to rescue them. In the process she comes across a Kitsune whose parents were captured and enslaved by the creatures, they get discovered, and have to flee the Rift creatures to warn the Royal Guard with only each other to rely on.”

She seemed to have a lot more to say, but Hadrian would rather read the book than get the summary, so he nodded thankfully to end the story there. “That sounds interesting, actually… but I have something I had in mind when I came here; could you help me find the section on magic?”

“Err… which one, exactly? History of magic? Kitsune’s public knowledge section? Enchantments, Alchemy, Summoning, Runemages, Sealing, Evocation, Alteration, Transmutation, Enchanted Beasts-“

“Do you have a “for beginners” section, maybe?”

“Magical theory. It should be over here,” Liirie said, smiling. She appeared a bit nervous, though, as she started off into the maze of shelves. Hadrian wondered briefly if she didn’t entirely know the place herself – he hadn’t asked how long she’d worked there, he realized in hindsight. But to her credit it was only a minute or two later that he found himself staring at a row of books she’d pointed out.

“There are several about the basics of magic… do you have anything more specific you were looking for?”

“Maybe just something about the magic in this world, what it’s capable of, what it’s typically used for. Stuff like where it comes from, how people use it in the first place… You know, just a general overlook?”

“Oh, ah- you wanted beginner beginner, this is the wrong section for that.”

She moved again before Hadrian could question her, darting quickly through the shelves this time. Hadrian struggled to keep up, and was thankful the journey was only a few over this time. She reached up on the shelf and pulled free a book, quickly handing it to him.

“This should do,” Liirie said with a blush on her cheeks.

“Why the strange look? And why’s this in a different section,” Hadrian queried, more out of idle curiosity than anything.

“Uh… ah… um… this is the- uh, children’s section for magic.” The last part came out as nothing more than a whisper as Liirie tapped her index fingers together nervously.

“Oh… so that means-“

“I’m sorry Lord, it’s the only place with the information you need!” Liirie suddenly threw herself down on a knee, holding her hands up. Her hair started to pale too – was that a natural reaction?

“Woah, woah! Calm down! Stand up, stand up,” Hadrian said. Despite her fear, Liirie followed his words, regaining her feet and still hiding slightly behind her arms. “All I was going to say was that this is probably the section I should get most of my information from.”

“You… you aren’t mad that I insinuated you needed to read from this section?” Liirie asked quietly.

“No, why would I be?” Hadrian smiled warmly at her, and saw her tension ease slightly. “I already told the Council that I wanted to start slowly, learn from the beginning. This is probably the best place for me to start.”

“W-well I’m glad I didn’t offend you,” she said with a long sigh. “Will that be all Lord?”

“Yes, thank you. This should keep me occupied for quite a while. Is there a reading area?”

“Err…” Liirie pointed backwards into the maze of books, down one of the narrower pathways. “Directly that way. Most of the major aisles here lead either to the exit, eventually, or to one of the various reading areas. Usually both, one at each end. That one in particular leads to a more secluded area, with an open floor. Useful if you want to try anything you learn. Oh, and… clap when you sit down. You’ll see why.”

“Thank you so much Liirie,” Hadrian said, giving a quick wave. With that he was off, walking briskly through the aisle and staring intently at the book’s cover. It was a simple, leather-bound tome, but within it were apparently the secrets of things I couldn’t even comprehend. Whether they would explain it well enough to change that remained to be seen.

The area she’d been referring to wasn’t hard to find. There were three chairs in a wide semi-circle, with a large open space before them. Hadrian picked the one in the middle and sat down, adjusting until he was suitably comfortable.

“Now what did she say about clapping?” Hadrian looked around the empty surroundings, feeling a bit self-conscious. If nothing happened, he’d be quite embarrassed – it was one thing to only suspect that he was being watched, but now he knew Alonna was close enough to keep an eye on him throughout the day.

Oh, Lord. Was he being watched when he was with Valeera?

Hadrian tried not to think too deeply about it and clapped his hands several times, hoping to be rewarded for his trust. To his great surprise the effect was immediate, easily visible, and incredibly simple. In the center of the open area, a massive flame sparked to life, while the light around him (he wasn’t entirely certain where it came from) dimmed away in the immediate area, creating a shadowed and moody ambience for his reading. He had to admit, it did create quite the atmosphere.

The room was hardly what interested him, though. Granted, he did find himself staring at the magical fire that had no source for a time, but it only made him more eager to delve into the book itself. And so he did, with great fervor.

________________________________________

Hadrian found quickly that magic was something that captured his interest from the first few pages. Though it was supposedly written for children, which may have helped, the topic was astoundingly entertaining. The book spent a little time mentioning the basics – how magic was a user’s essence manifesting itself in a physical (or at least metaphysical) form, and how the stronger someone became and the better they were at controlling it, the greater tasks they could accomplish.

Then the book – as if it needed to – tried to entice the reader with stories of great magic users from history. From what Hadrian was reading, the vast majority of them were Kitsune. One in particular caught his eye – it was Qiala. One of the three Kitsune on the High Council. According to this, almost thirty thousand years ago she had…

A lot of the words stopped making sense. They were foreign, and not easily decipherable based on context. Hadrian recognized Rifts from the High Council, though you had no idea what they were. Then there were the Forsaken, the Forlorn, the Forgotten… he knew those words, but they were all capitalized oddly and out of typical context. Plus, it mentioned “Omniplexia”, “Arcanostrom”, and “Vergent Pulse”.

He didn’t need to understand the words, though. There were helpful pictures below it – and they painted a story that had his eyes widening and his jaw dropping. There was a crystal-clear picture of Qiala, standing in an empty field against a shadowy army. They weren’t like any of the other races he had seen so far – perhaps they were a variant of the Ferals, but he doubted it. They were brandishing weapons, in mid-charge, and the only thing standing in their way was Qiala.

A blue crystal floated above her head. She had one hand outstretched toward it, and the other toward the approaching force. The next picture was obviously some time later… or was it? There was nothing. An empty battlefield, strewn with weapons and armor, but no sign of a single living being. Qiala stood there with no enemies to be seen, and no blue crystal. She was down on one knee, though, and her tails had fallen to the ground.

As best as Hadrian could tell, by the words that meant something to him, she’d defeated some kind of rising army… all with a single spell.

“But magic is not without cost, as Qiala learned that day,” the text continued, “draining energy from the user equal to its measure. Attempting a spell beyond one’s capabilities can be painful, cause unintended side effects, and fail all at the same time. Attempting something too far beyond one’s own abilities can even consume their life essence in the attempt. Many famous mages who let the power they controlled seduce them into overconfidence have lost their lives as a result.”

Hadrian continued reading, chills running down his spine. Was that what had happened to Qiala? He wondered if she’d known it was beyond her abilities, or if that was just how much energy it had taken. Perhaps he could ask her later; if it was in a book like this, he assumed that it was fairly public information.

Hadrian finally found something relevant to him, or at least he hoped. There weren’t many others like him – the closest were the elves, but according to a quote from the text, “all known species can use magic, except for the Morphs. It is suspected that their race’s natural transformative capabilities exist through minimal magical skills imbued into their beings, or perhaps in place of it.”

So… did that mean Hadrian could, too? Supposedly the Lord had some kind of amazing power – if this wasn’t it, then he was hard pressed to imagine what it was. But the book didn’t say anything about how to actually perform the basics, at least not yet, and-

“U-um, excuse me Lord, but…”

Hadrian sat up straight in the seat, the sudden voice scaring the hell out of him. He turned to see a similarly startled Liirie holding her hands up in defense. As he stood and turned, the fire disappeared, and the light in the area returned to normal. Her face was nervous, but there was something else there. She seemed flushed, and her skin was glistening as if she’d been sweating recently.

“I-I’m sorry, I was just coming to tell you that I’m going to be leaving for the day and closing off the main doors of the library!” She shouted, seemingly forgetting she was in a library.

“Oh, so I have to leave?” Hadrian said, closing the book immediately.

“N-no,” she quickly added, waving her arms in distress. “you’re allowed in here any time you want; it’s your Library after all! I just lock the doors to anyone wanting to come in, and I won’t be here if you need me.”

“Oh… well, if you could spare a few moments, could you help point me in the direction of a few more books like this? More geared toward learning magic than just learning about it, if you could.”

“Right, what were you hoping for? Alchemy? Pyromancy? Arcanomancy? I’m not personally familiar with any of them – I, we morphs can’t do magic, because-“

“I actually just read that part,” Hadrian said quickly to avoid further repetition. “And… I guess it’s not particularly important; pick the first five on the shelf, I’ll just go down the line.”

“Right. Shall I meet you at the front?”

“I’ll, uh, I’ll come with you,” Hadrian said quickly, keeping close to her when she nodded and turned around. Truthfully, he wasn’t entirely certain how it was he could find his way out. Not that he wanted to admit that – probably didn’t look good for the Lord to be asking for so much assistance.

“Let’s see, these are organized in an odd way… but you did say the first five,” she murmured, plucking books off the shelf. Hadrian looked at her quizzically.

“Did you forget how you organized these?”

Liirie sighed, pushing at one of her temples in the first sign of annoyance Hadrian had yet seen out of her. “The person who had this job before me preferred to organize them to her own tastes… judging by this, it was by personal preference rather than alphabetically, by difficulty, chronologically, or any other typical system that one would use. I replaced her a while back when it was discovered she had a tendency for such unusual methods. I’ve been straightening out her work for months, but it would seem that this was a section I overlooked. Not surprising, as it’s not a section the typical visitor is interested in, but still… I apologize. If you’d like to change your request I can find you some different tomes.”

“That will be fine, what were the first five?” Hadrian asked, somewhat excited.

“Arcanomancy, Biomancy, Conjuration, Enchanting, and Summoning,” Liirie said, tapping each book in turn. “Arcanomancy is an excellent selection, as it’s a… well, fundamental school. Though it’s no less powerful than any other school to a dedicated user, it teaches many basic lessons that, even if not necessary to use another school, will greatly increase one’s effectiveness. Conjuration and Summoning however are two schools which require more finesse. They’re very complex, and a misstep in those can cause a great deal of problems… the more advanced the spell, the more precision necessary.”

“Well… it’s primarily a learning experience, not an experimental one. I’ll take these, and likely be back for more in a few days,” Hadrian said, nodding with a big smile. “Thank you so much for your assistance.”

“You’re welcome,” Liirie said, smiling bashfully. “I promise I’ll have this section in better order for your return.”

“I appreciate the work you do here,” Hadrian said, honestly. Keeping this library must have been a truly monumental task. The dusting alone could take long enough that you’d have to start over nearly the moment you finished…

“That means a great deal to me. So, did you really not know this was the library?” She asked.

“Yes, I’m still very new to this place. I’ve been trying to familiarize myself with the place, but it’s a truly massive task.”

“Indeed. If you’d like I can show you around this wing,” Liirie said with a bright grin.

“That would be great… but I don’t want to disturb your work,” Hadrian said, putting a hand to his chin. “I think I can get Alonna to do it. She seems to be following me around anyway, so it’s not like I’d be bothering her.”

“I said I was closing down, remember?” She lightly touched her hand upon his arm, gliding her hand over his robe. “I’m absolutely free. And if you’ll let me, a tour is a fantastic way to pass the afternoon.”

“Uh, certainly,” Hadrian said, smiling. He offered his arm and Liirie immediately took it, wrapping her own around it as she (thankfully) took the lead and pulled him toward the entrance. In only a few minutes they were there, and he happily swung the door open for her, ready to enter a hallway. Much simpler to navigate.

“Just a moment,” Liirie said, reaching behind her. Hadrian’s eyebrows knitted in confusion until he realized that she was undoing her dress in the back. The sound of a zipper confirmed it, as her tight, slick dress suddenly started to grow much, much looser.

It peeled away from her skin an inch at a time, until it covered almost nothing. The tops of her breasts came into view as she pulled her arms forward, not noticing his stares, or the heat he felt rising to his face. As she slipped her arms free of the sleeves, the rest fell into place. Her chest was as thin as she was, though as a morph he wasn’t sure how much weight that really carried. Her nipples too were small, pink blemishes on the smooth pale skin of her breasts. She slid the dress down until it was at her waist, at which point Hadrian finally spoke up.

“Ah, excuse me, why are you- uh, why are you taking that off?” Hadrian asked. So far, everyone had gone naked the majority of the time, with only Eyarra and her wearing clothing, yet he still found it odd that she would begin stripping like that.

“This? It’s just my work uniform, I wear it to prevent myself getting the books or any furniture dirty with- bodily…” Liirie paused as she was rolling it over her hips, looking up for the first time and seeing Hadrian’s face. He looked away bashfully, certain he’d been a picture of lust. He turned his eyes back toward her, though, and found Liirie similarly blushing.

“L-lord, have I… have I offended you?” Despite her words, she didn’t seem to have the same nervousness or fear she’d had earlier. If anything, though, her cheeks were even more crimson than his.

“N-no, it’s fine, I need to… get used to this sort of thing,” he said, turning back. She went right back to removing her clothing, and he watched as every inch of fabric was pulled downward. Between the slight protrusions of her hip bones, a short, well-trimmed pubic strip ran down to her slit, almost seeming to point the way toward the moistened mound.

“Liirie, are you… are you turned on?” Hadrian asked, only somewhat hesitantly. Honestly, he was glad he wasn’t the only one – he’d started holding the robe a little bit more awkwardly to conceal his growing erection.

“I… well, I typically study when I’m using my time to browse the contents of the library, but not everything here is… educational,” she said, bending over to pull the rest of her dress up. Hadrian watched her breasts sway as she lifted her knees one by one and pulled it off, and couldn’t tear his eyes away from her ass when she swayed over to a hook by the door and hung up the dress there. He swallowed nervously, but had the presence of mind to speak up when Liirie was about to lock the door.

“What about Alonna,” he said, his voice coming out more hoarsely than he had anticipated.

“She’s got her own ways around the castle. The kind only the Lord and his personal guard are privy to. Don’t worry about her, she’s around here somewhere,” Liirie said with a smile.

“Well, perhaps I should give her a break. It must be tedious to follow me around and have nothing to do but watch out for me…” Hadrian said quietly.

“Will you leave so soon? I suppose you wish to return to your quarters,” Liirie said, and Hadrian could clearly hear the very thinly veiled disappointment.

“I wish to return indeed. Perhaps, instead of a tour of this wing, I could give you a tour of mine?”

The boldness struck Hadrian as out of character from what little he’d known of himself in this world, but he was able to say it without pausing, at least. Truthfully, the easygoing nature of the women of this world had him at a great deal of ease, and that was slowly loosening him up toward this kind of thing.

“I don’t recall there being a great deal of furniture in the Lord’s quarters,” Liirie murmured, coming closer to Hadrian. She brushed her right hand up along his shoulder, while her left snaked its way inside of the opening and wrapped around his smooth chest. “How ever will you manage to make a true tour out of it?”

“I can… I can show you a great many things,” Hadrian said, his confidence faltering in the face of her sudden change in demeanor.

“Well then, let’s not delay,” she said quickly, moving down the hallway ahead of him. Her hips had a certain sway to them that spoke volumes about her new confidence, and made Hadrian wonder what had caused the sudden shift. Was she… was she just pretending to be shy? Or was this kind of thing so mundane in this world that even the shyest could find confidence in it?

There was a lot of time to find answers, but only a short time before Liirie would wonder why he wasn’t following. Hadrian quickly sped to catch up to her.

“So, tell me Lord, what form would you prefer? I assure you, I can fulfill almost any fantasies you might have. Surely this world has given you some inspiration?”

Hadrian scratched the back of his head. “Why don’t you just take on your natural form? You know, let me see the real you?”

Liirie gasped and put her hand to her mouth. “I’m sorry Lord, I can’t do that. Do you know of our species?”

“Not much, just that you transform. Oh, and I read in that book that your species doesn’t have magical power…” Hadrian trailed off, wondering if that was a sore subject.

“That’s right! Ours is a natural talent. Personally, I like this so much more, after all…” her voice trailed off too. Liirie shook her head like she was freeing herself of a chain of thought, then smiled at him. “We don’t have natural forms. When we’re born, we’re a small, white cube, actually. We usually transform into the first thing we see.”

“Oh.” Hadrian didn’t really have a reply to that, so he stared ahead for a few seconds. “Is this form your favorite?”

“Well…” she thought about that for a few moments, scratching her jaw. “I suppose it is, for now. Most morphs change it up every few centuries.”

“Right…” Hadrian had forgotten about the age factor; he hadn’t even asked her about hers. “I guess you can’t stick to one form forever.”

“Nope, that’d get boring,” she said, giggling.

They were at the double doors already. Hadrian had a moment of hesitation, wondering if Valeera had returned yet. What would she think of him bringing Liirie back?

He’d find out one way or the other. Liirie didn’t seem to have the same qualms, and was standing only semi-patiently in front of the door, smiling at him and very clearly eager to go inside.

“Right, after you,” Hadrian said with a nervous smile, opening the door. Liirie trotted inside, each step deliberately swaying her ass in front of him. Hadrian did his best to keep his eyes away from it and looking around the room. To a mixture of emotions, he saw Valeera sitting upon the bed, propped up against a pillow and scratching away at a notepad.

“Oh, you’ve returned, Lord,” she said immediately, a pleased look crossing her face. Her eyes flickered to Liirie, and her look changed, but to one of surprised amusement rather than the envy Hadrian might’ve been expecting. “And you’ve brought our Librarian?”

“Y-yes, excellent to see you as always, Lady Valeera,” Liirie said with a curt bow. Apparently, she was still as nervous as ever. Nice to see that she hadn’t totally changed.

“Ah, I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you were back, Valeera,” Hadrian said sheepishly.

“It’s quite alright, I only returned recently. I’m glad you explored. Considering you brought Liirie to your chambers, I can only assume you found a way to entertain yourself during my absence.”

Despite her wording, it was clearly not a question. Liirie wrapped a hand around Hadrian’s chest, gently attempting to slide the robe off of him, but Hadrian didn’t aid her, and the process was greatly slowed.

“I… well, as I said, I didn’t realize you’d be here. I didn’t intend to bother you-“

“Bother me?” Valeera chuckled. “My, why would you be bothering me? I may be exhausted, but I can’t deny that our recent trysts have been running through my mind over the past few hours. That is, of course, if you wouldn’t mind a viewer…”

“Not at all,” Hadrian said, rather amazed. He’d remembered, of course, that the elven woman had a fondness for voyeurism, but it hadn’t occurred to him that she might want to indulge it. “That is, of course, if Liirie has no problems with it.”

“I… to have Lady Valeera watching me?” The morph blushed, and Hadrian took that as his cue. He gave some slack to his arms, and the robe fell away into Liirie’s grasp, who hastily threw it up onto the protruding hook beside the door. “I would be honored.”

“Well, there’s plenty of room,” Valeera said with a sly grin, sliding farther along the bed. Quite true, really – he could’ve brought everyone he’d met thus far into the room, and they still could’ve all fit on the massive bed at once. He didn’t have much more time to contemplate that, because in the next moment Liirie was pulling him along, nearly dragging him to the bed.

Hadrian had already had that happen once, though. This time, he wanted to at least try to take initiative. He dug his left heel into the carpet and twisted, sending Liirie bouncing onto the bed. She didn’t seem to mind; as soon as she hit the sheets, the shock left her face, replaced by an enticing smile. She held her arms up high and spread open her legs.

“Come on then, don’t keep her waiting,” Valeera teased. Hadrian could see that she’d already spread her own legs, and one finger slid along the quickly moistening line of her slit. Her cheeks had become rapidly flushed, and though her movements were subtle, the look of excitement on her face was anything but.

“Yes, please Lord, show me what one can do with a… non-artificial tool,” Liirie said, massaging the inside of her thighs enticingly. Hadrian leaned over her, hovering just inches away from her flawless pale skin.

“I’ll show you what I can do with more than just that,” Hadrian said boldly, hooking his arms underneath her thighs. Judging by the perfection of her skin, it seemed like the benefits of her morphing ability included never needing to shave. Despite the late hour, he felt not even a trace of hair along her creamy skin.

“Well, I can’t wait to be thoroughly surpri-IIISED!” Her voice raised substantially as Hadrian leaned in and planted a firm kiss at the top of her slit. Though he’d hardly touched her yet, her skin was wet against his lips, and her clit was already exposed. Hadrian nuzzled in and gently lapped at her mound, being gentle enough not to give her too much stimulation at once. It didn’t seem to matter – regardless of how gently he attended to her, Liirie’s quickly accelerating breathing and constant moans were a clear sign that she was far too sensitive for any real teasing. It was like every nerve in her body was on fire.

Hadrian wouldn’t have said anything even if he could; there was too much to enjoy about this. Even if Liirie’s overly sensitive pussy wasn’t giving him a rousing amount of encouragement, the idea of Valeera being right there, watching everything, made him simultaneously nervous and thrilled. He abandoned the idea of going slowly and spread Liirie’s moist lips with his tongue, diving deeper and tasting her sweet juices as he ran his tongue across her clit.

Liirie opened her mouth in a silent scream, clutching the bedsheets so hard that Hadrian thought he heard them rip. He could feel her smooth walls contracting underneath him, and her hips began to thrust with abandon, grinding her pleasure nub even harder into his face. Hadrian could taste her nectar as she reached a quick but, apparently, very fulfilling release, and did his best to keep it off of the bed.

Liirie panted heavily as she struggled up off of the sheets, glaring lustily into Hadrian’s eyes.

“Thank you, milord… but I think there’s a way for us both to feel good, now.”

Liirie lowered her arms under Hadrian’s, lifting him slowly up by the armpits. She didn’t have much strength, but Hadrian didn’t hesitate to come with her, not resisting in the slightest. He settled his arms in beside her, avoiding putting his full weight around her body, while trying to position himself for the best degree of movement.

“Ah, easy… just put it in, Lord, I’ll take care of the rest,” Liirie said with a smirk, running her fingers along Hadrian’s cheek. Everywhere she touched it felt like soft feathers were brushing against his skin, sending chills and shivers across his entire body. Hadrian nodded and aligned himself at her entrance, feeling Liirie’s taut body tense with anticipation. Shivers ran down her spine as she sat still, her eyes pleading for him to make the push.

Hadrian wrapped his arms around Liirie, running his hands along her silken skin, anchoring both of them to the bed, and slowly moved his hips forward. There was almost no resistance as he pushed in, feeling Liirie’s lips almost seem to stretch out around him. Her snatch welcomed him, and before long Hadrian had bottomed out, feeling her soaked body clutching feverishly around him.

“And now…” she said quietly, “…allow me.”

Hadrian felt Liirie’s walls begin to stroke him, but her body did not move. His eyes widened and he did his best to pull back and look down without moving out of her. Liirie’s eyes lit up as the motion continued, growing steadily stronger and more insistent, as if her pussy was actually milking his cock for semen.

“I, uh… I guess you probably didn’t know this about morphs either… we can control more than just our appearances,” she said quietly. A bright rosy tint started to creep across her cheeks as she looked down, apparently focusing on her efforts. The tightness her cunt was doubled, and the speed slowly began to ramp up.

Hadrian opened his mouth, but nothing besides a soft moan came out as Liirie began to exult with a litany of satisfied groans, clearly feeling just as much pleasure from the experience as he was. Seeing that, Hadrian stopped holding himself back and laid down upon Liirie, letting her adaptable pussy handle all the work while he played with her nipples, eliciting quiet squeaks from her and causing her pussy to twitch as she momentarily lost focus every time he got too aggressive.

They continued on like that for quite some time, and eventually Valeera’s moans added in to the chorus. Hadrian fought to keep his weight off of her as the pleasure started to overpower his basic motor control, eventually settling for pushing Liirie up further onto the bed and fully laying himself on it as she stroked wildly, her face a mask of ecstasy as her pulses became spastic, randomly tensing and releasing Hadrian’s member in ways that had him twitching and ready to burst.

“Liirie, I’m gonna cum!”

“Cum on me! Come on my tits!”

The bold request was unusually firm for the woman, but Hadrian didn’t concern himself with that. He gave a few final thrusts, sending them both as close to the edge as he could, before he pulled out and quickly straddled her, stroking himself rapidly while her hands went to work on her clit.

Hadrian’s orgasm hit him hard, crashing over his excited mind with the full weight that such unusual stimulation could build. He came in jets, surprising even himself with the volume after Valeera’s ministrations earlier, several bursts of white covering Liirie’s tits. The moment that it hit her skin she started to moan and buck, nearly knocking Hadrian over with her uncontrollable spasms. A moment later she let out a piercing scream and her whole body locked up, leaving Hadrian to ride out his own orgasm in stillness.

As soon as the last pulses of his cock died down, Hadrian fell to the side, careful to extricate his leg from Liirie’s side as he did so. Valeera must have had a fairly quiet orgasm, because even though Hadrian had heard nothing she was only idly toying with herself now, her lithe body coated in a thin layer of sweat that nearly matched her smile in terms of satisfied gleams.

“Excellent work, Liirie. Have you been practicing?”

“How often do you get to practice that?” Hadrian asked, laughing.

“Well, as often as I have someone to practice with,” Liirie teased, her shyness still not fully present as she basked in her afterglow.

“How many of your partners have a tool that can actually feel it to make it worth practicing, though?” Hadrian’s curiosity was suddenly growing.

Valeera answered with a smile that simultaneously sent shivers down Hadrian’s spine and his cock.

“Oh, Lord… we have so very many things to teach you.”


	4. Chapter 4

The morning sun touched upon Hadrian’s face with a soft glow, bringing him out of his stupor and into the world once again. Eyarra was spread across his legs, resting her head on her soft tails with all the delicacy he would’ve expected of a Kitsune. Valeera was curled up on her own side of the bed… which, given the size of the bed, was actually a considerable distance. Her legs were spread carelessly, hand draped over her nether regions. Judging by her position, she’d woken up in the middle of the night and desired some relief on her own.

How many days had it been like this? He was no longer entirely certain. Surely it had been a month by now? Perhaps that was simply his ecstasy slowing time down. Eyarra and Valeera had been more than happy to fill any free moments he found himself having with ecstasy. Although, right now, he could not help but feel as though all this ecstasy had left him massively desiring a drink.

Hadrian’s eyes slid to the left, and he spotted the tray Eyarra had been delivering last night before she got roped into the evening’s debauchery. It still had a pitcher of water on it, and while it was surely room temperature, that was heavenly right now. The problem was, there was no way that he could possibly get out of the bed without waking Eyarra. As comfortable as she looked, Hadrian had discovered after many nightly trysts that she was a light sleeper, and very attentive to the Lord's needs. Whatever they might be.

Of course, that might not matter. After all, he didn't have to leave the bed… if he only had the skill.

Eyarra had actually been there for one other purpose that particular evening – he had been studying magic. Valeera knew a lot of spells, but most of them were based in the manipulation of living forces, which were apparently quite complex. According to her, the easiest place to start for most people was manipulation of force, things like moving objects around, blunt physical manifestation of force, activating mechanisms already in place, and other ways of doing things that could be fairly easily accomplished by simple physical effort.

In addition, Valeera's age meant that she hadn't spent any real time learning the spells in a very long time, and she had never been a teacher of the magical arts. Eyarra, however, was only just over fifteen thousand years old, the youngest of her sisters, and she had spent a brief period of time teaching newborn Kitsune in the ways of magic before she had attained the position as one of the Lord’s Castle staff members. That meant that Eyarra had agreed to start spending a lot more time with Hadrian - a fact she didn't bother hiding her joy at.

She’d taken to teaching Hadrian the very basic fundamentals, theory and practice alike. Unfortunately, the practices had been… less than optimal. They hadn’t had much success, but she’d made preparations for them to do further testing later, something about potential and capacity. He hadn't understood exactly what she was saying, just that she was hesitant to divulge its exact nature. It was the first thing she had ever been so evasive about, but while it was a bit unnerving, Hadrian had grown to trust Eyarra since he first arrived there.

Hadrian eyed the cart and wondered if perhaps he could reach it, if maybe his need would overwhelm whatever lack of understanding he had about the actual process. He stretched his hand out as gently as possible and attempted to pull the cart over to the bed. Hadrian’s mind touched at the very fabric of the universe and tried to bend it to its will.

He could hear the universe laughing as the cart moved exactly… not at all.

“Lord, allow me, please.”

Eyarra’s voice was soft and muffled, as she had apparently chosen not to even raise her head to address him. One of her tails flicked lazily and the cart rolled over quickly, its only slightly squeaky wheels bringing the pitcher and glass well within reach of the edge of the bed.

“Thank you, Eyarra,” Hadrian said, but despite his grateful tone he could not help the sigh that escaped from his lips.

“Do not worry Lord. The only reason we have even attempted practical matters is because I wondered how easily this might come to you. We teach practice and theory adapted to the individual for weeks or even months before we allow our Kitsune to attempt to work raw magical energies. I wasn’t certain if the Lord might be more attuned, but there’s no reason to feel bad about not achieving a remarkable feat in an unheard of length of time.”

“I suppose,” Hadrian said, still shaking his head. “Sorry, by the way. I did not mean to wake you.”

“It’s no trouble at all, Lord. I would’ve awoken in moments anyway, unless I forgot to cast my awakening spell in the midst of our… activities. I have duties to attend to; in addition to my usual cleaning, I also manage the other staff and ensure everything is in order for the day. Now that we have occupants, that mostly includes making sure every meal for the day is laid out and prepared in abundance so that we will not have the issue of choosing who goes unfed amongst the staff.”

“That reminds me, don’t have the staff prepare me a meal,” Hadrian said quickly, casting the covers away from his body and stepping forward. After last night’s activities he felt somewhat more comfortable around Eyarra, and after all the nights he’d had with Valeera… well, he’d lost his sense of decency around her altogether, to be honest.

“I would not recommend a diet, Lord. Why do you wish to skip lunch?” Eyarra asked, seemingly serious despite her joke.

“I was thinking of taking a trip into the city proper… I’ve been locked up in this castle for half a month. I assume everyone already knows that I’m here, but I’ve yet to speak to anyone other than the High Council and you. Even your sisters have been evading me for the most part. Perhaps it’s time that I met the citizens of Rafflesia City, at least. The rest can come when I’ve adjusted more.”

“That’s very sociable of you, Lord,” Eyarra said with a smile. She extracted herself from the bed, her petite chest bouncing slightly as she climbed to her feet and stretched. Each of her tails curled and uncurled of its own accord, and as she stepped forward she gently rubbed them up against the bare skin of Hadrian’s back. 

“I’ll inform Alonna for you.”

“Alonna?” Hadrian asked, before something chimed off in his memory. Alonna was the Lord’s designated bodyguard, and she’d promised to accompany him whenever he left the castle… hell, she’d even been following him around inside of the castle, she just hadn’t been very obvious about it. “Right… what exactly will she do? Surely she won’t be scaring the civilians?”

Eyarra chuckled, covering her mouth with one of her long tails. “No, Lord. She’ll simply be in plain sight behind you, with her weapon and a full quiver. That’s all the intimidation that most will need – she’s the most proficient warrior who applied for the position, and considering the prestige that comes with the job, most who believe they would have a chance apply.”

“I’m surprised there’s so much prestige, considering that the Lord has been little more than a myth for the past few hundred thousand years,” Hadrian said with a laugh.

“Oh, no,” Eyarra cautioned, her eyes widening, “never a myth. The prophecy of your arrival was as certain as can be. The Lord’s bodyguard has always been prestigious, despite a lack of knowledge about the time frame of your arrival. Think of it as any other soldier – even if not actively at war, in a moment’s notice they are expected to lay their lives on the line.”

“I suppose I can respect that, as can everyone else apparently. I only hope that one day I can achieve the kind of power you all seem so certain I possess. As it is now, I can’t even move a cart in a world where people like Qiala can destroy armies.” Hadrian dejectedly mumbled.

“You know of Qiala?” Eyarra asked, her surprise not at all hidden.

“Why, is it supposed to be a secret?” Hadrian asked, raising an eyebrow. He wasn't expecting such a reaction, especially considering that he had found the information in a random textbook for magical novices.

“No, I just didn’t expect you to know about that when you were still so new to our world. That happened almost thirty millennia ago... the entire incident was rather great news at the time, but I haven’t heard of it since my last time at the Academy.”

“It was in a book I read, based on the fundamentals of magic. It’s over there.” Hadrian quickly gestured to the shelf that he’d stored the books on. Liirie had been more than happy to let him keep the books, after he’d explained that they weren’t going to actually be of much use until he figured out the basics of magic. He’d even had to order her to inform him if anyone wanted the books. Apparently everything in there had been donated or created specifically for the Lord, so she claimed he had first rights to them even if he wanted to keep them for the next hundred years. That was before he invited the entire High Council to his Living Quarters, though, even if she insisted it changed nothing. 

Eyarra walked over to the shelf and picked up a few of the books, going down the line. Eventually she reached the one Hadrian had spent most of his time reading, about the very fundamentals of magic. “An Introduction to Magical Theory”, as he recalled.

“Ah, I remember this… this is a tome written for Kitsunes who are beginning their magical education. It must have been donated to the Lord’s library over time; this is actually an edition behind the current, though that doesn’t mean very much,” Eyarra said, her eyes glistening as she looked down. “I haven’t even seen this author’s name in nearly five thousand years. It’s a good place to start, though. Very resourceful, Lord.”

“Thank Liirie,” Hadrian chuckled. “Without her I never would have been able to navigate that infernal library. I swear, I’m going to have to spend a month in there just to read every book's title.”

“Perhaps more,” Eyarra said with a soft smile. “We’ve been collecting tomes for hundreds of thousands of years, since the Lord’s Library finished construction. There are some tomes in there that do not exist outside of this castle.”

There was a soft ringing sound, something that Hadrian found his ears perking up at. Eyarra looked toward the ceiling for a moment, and then smiled at him.

“I’m sorry Lord, I have to be going. It’s time for me to begin my rounds of the castle.”

“What was that?” Hadrian asked, his eyes twitching between Eyarra and the distant ceiling of his bedroom.

“Oh, did you hear that? It’s my personal tone, an awakening spell enchantment embedded into the castle itself meant to wake the staff… it should only be audible to myself and any other Kitsunes though. My sisters and I are the only Kitsune that regularly sleep here, and I even soundproofed the rooms of the High Council to ensure that it didn’t wake them if they wished to sleep in. My, my, Lord. You have some talents that certainly need exploring. Perhaps when the objects I requisitioned arrive we can test them more extensively. For now, though, I’m afraid I have to be going.”

Hadrian nodded, and bid her a quick farewell. In no time at all, Eyarra was gone, but it wasn’t long before he had someone else to deal with.

“The Lord is hiding all sorts of secrets in that wondrous body of his, isn’t he?”

Valeera’s soft tits pressed against Hadrian’s back, her hardened nipples gently rubbing against his skin as she leaned into him and grinned from ear to ear.

“Yes, secrets even from myself,” Hadrian murmured. “I assume Eyarra is already notifying Alonna. Would you like to accompany me, Valeera?”

“I would certainly love to, my Lord, but I’m afraid that if you’re leaving the castle it would be in my best interests to use that time to contact my subordinates. It’s been nearly three days since I last checked up on them; you have been keeping me quite busy with your education.”

“I see. Well, I’ll go alone then. Good luck with your affairs,” Hadrian said, bowing his head.

“Seems you’re all ready to leave,” Valeera said, gazing over Hadrian’s shoulder.

When Hadrian turned he saw the elven guard, somehow having entered the room without even making the slightest of noise. Alonna bowed to him and gestured toward the now-open door.

“Did the Lord wish to leave now, or wait? Eyarra informed me you did not wish to have lunch in the castle, so I assumed that you would be leaving shortly, as noon is nearly upon us.”

“Uh… yes, that will be fine,” Hadrian said, nodding. He hadn’t expected Alonna to arrive so quickly, but he certainly didn’t mind getting a quick start.

“Very well. I shall be directly outside to escort you.”

With that Alonna was gone, and Hadrian didn't take long in readying himself to follow. His hand instinctively went to the robe at the side of the door, but he hesitated. If clothing was so unnecessary in this society, he wasn’t convinced that he wanted to make his first impression as an outsider. Following the local customs might make him a bit uncomfortable, but hopefully it would improve his standing.

Hadrian stepped through the door and found Alonna standing there just as promised, patiently waiting for him. He was moderately surprised to see that she was holding something though - a pair of bracers, which she was holding out toward him in offering.

“What are those for?” Hadrian asked immediately, eyeing them closely. They were an exquisite pair of accessories, crafted from what appeared to be solid gold. Around the outside four gems were embedded in a diamond pattern, and a strange symbol circled the tops.

“These bracers are heavily enchanted. I can protect you from any foe that may come after you directly, but I may not see or be able to prevent every attack. These will ensure that even a surprise attack on you is almost certainly doomed to failure.”

“Once again I find myself wondering what exactly you seek to protect me from,” Hadrian said, hoping he didn’t sound too worried or ungrateful. Alonna held her arm out down the hallway before responding, and as she began to speak the two of them walked side by side toward the entrance.

“When you and I have more opportunity and time together alone, I shall tell you more about the Rifts. Until then, perhaps you could make further use of the Lord’s Library?”

Alonna’s voice was still pretty intense, but she actually seemed to be doing her best to soften it for me. Hadrian wondered if she saw the conflict on his face, and how taken aback he was by her constantly neutral tone.

“Perhaps. I feel Liirie has already given me a great deal of material to go over, though, and I’d prefer to learn from an expert as yourself.”

For the first time in their limited interactions, Alonna cracked a smile. “I am no expert; I have only occasionally assisted the Lord’s Royal Guard, and when I am not doing so, I rarely venture beyond the walls. I was to be ready for you to arrive at any moment, after all. If you wish to speak to someone with more firsthand experience with the Rifts, I might suggest Kil’tair. She has spent centuries battling back the creatures.”

“I’ll remember that,” Hadrian said. They’d just passed the big intersection of the castle and gone down the only path that Hadrian had yet to see – apparently, the one that led outside. They passed a few more doors on the way, even a stairwell, but they continued walking toward a distant set of double doors, despite the fact he knew they were on at least the second story.

“Through this way is the outer garden. It leads to the front gates, and from there to the very heart of Rafflesia City.”

“Will everyone out there be… having sex in the square?” Hadrian asked, uncertain of what to expect. It seemed almost everyone at the castle – staff or High Council – stole away every moment they could. Hadrian had learned that there were multiple chairs, couches, and even beds placed in unusual locations for just that. Sometimes with people they barely knew. He’d already learned quite a few of the High Council were in relationships of some kind, the nature of which he’d been too shy to inquire of.

“Oh my, no,” Alonna said, and Hadrian thought she sounded amused. “Public spaces outside are generally the only place that will not typically happen. Most people are too worries about cleanliness, and some are too loud for public enjoyment without causing a disruption. There are areas and buildings for such things, but they are cordoned off from the general public areas and soundproofed thoroughly. If you don’t wish to venture in, you will not even notice their presence amongst the crowds.”

“How bad have the crowds been since I arrived?” Hadrian asked. “I assume that everyone knows by now.”

Alonna smirked. “More than know, Lord. From the messages we have received there are festivals in nearly every major city… save this one, of course. The people await your arrival amongst them. Do not worry though, Lord; the people of Rafflesia are a patient kind, and they will not dishonor themselves by making you uncomfortable.”

“We can only hope,” Hadrian said in a joking manner.

“Or you may order,” Alonna said in a very serious but offhanded manner, shrugging as she opened the door.

Hadrian’s first real taste of sunlight since arriving here was surprisingly tolerable. He’d left the windows open most of the days that he was there, as much as weather permitted, so it wasn't as though he'd been sealed away from the world. Still, he had to squint as he stepped out, and that narrowed his field of vision of what had to be one of the most exciting and beautiful things he’d yet experienced.

The outer garden was a thing to behold, with winding paths leading to various structures and decorations. Each path was lined with a variety of greenery, lush and vibrant, so full of life it became obvious they were tended to every day. The cobblestone paths were carefully laid so as to be almost perfectly even, and the largest section of it led to a gate that appeared to be carved out of actual marble. Stone walls, sturdy and nearly twice as high as he was, extended from both sides of the gate as far as he could see, consumed eventually by the sheer quantity of plants and structures that had been erected around the place.

The trees were varied and all bore some kind of fruit, none of which Hadrian recognized. All of the fountains were simple on the outer rims but had very intricate and complex patterns of water, and some looked from this distance as if they were defying physics. The bushes matched the trees in their colorfulness and bore just as unique a harvest as the trees, and the statues – while he didn’t recognize any – were all of striking members of various races that seemed elegant even in stone form. They were flawless, as if they’d been carved yesterday, and didn't have any signs of wear, nor any mistakes in the various materials used to craft them. Hadrian suspected magic was at play, of course. Now it seemed he always suspected it, and was usually right.

As they walked, Hadrian took in the many wonders around him. Alonna too was examining everything, though he suspected that it was primarily due to her job rather than any wonder at the things around them. She might have spent decades in the castle as part of learning its layout, these sights might even be mundane to her by now.

The closer that Hadrian got to the edge of the property, the more clearly he could hear something. A cacophony of sounds all joined together, like that of a great gathering, a hundred people acting out of synchronicity with each other while going about their daily lives.

“What’s beyond the wall?” Hadrian asked, as they finally approached the distant gates. The white marble glistened in the sunlight as if it were made of light itself, forming an almost supernatural barrier between his castle and the rest of the world.

“The marketplace. The Lord’s Castle is at the very center of the city… beyond here is the heart of all trade in the capital, and much of the trade between kingdoms,” Alonna said, smiling at some train of thought Hadrian could only guess at.

“So… a lot of people…” Hadrian thought. “And I’ve not shown my face outside the castle since my arrival.”

“It will create quite a stir. I can keep you safe, and provide any amount of space that you request freed of civilians.”

“Do you think they mean me harm?” Hadrian asked, coming to a slow stall about a dozen feet away from the gate.

“None should. Your arrival was meant to be celebrated… but I cannot pretend to know anyone’s mind, and there are always those who do not think soundly. You need not worry; my skills have been sharpened over millennia, and those bracers are so heavily enchanted that even I could not break through them in less than a full minute, even giving it all of my strength.”

“I shall consider that high praise,” Hadrian replied, glancing down to the bracelets, feeling abruptly naked, as if he had only just shed the last of his clothing as he was about to step forward. For a long moment he stood there, absorbing the sounds of the marketplace and the sight of the few he could make out between the thick bars of the front gates.

“How do they open?” Hadrian asked, looking at the marbled gates.

“Merely ask.”

“Open,” Hadrian said, perhaps a bit too quietly. He was not entirely certain that a person standing at the gates would have heard him. Even if they would have, perhaps it was better to make a good first impression.

“Open.”

Hadrian spoke the word loudly, in a commanding tone. He hoped that doing so might carry through the chaos and ruckus that otherwise filled the marketplace, give at least a few a sign that he was coming. Whether it did or not, it opened the gates, and though they were soundless he couldn’t help but to feel that the sight of them opening gave his exit a bit more of a… Lordly appearance.

At once, despite the silent opening of the gates, the entire crowd noticed them. They turned and looked upon him. Hadrian saw a hundred people clearly, and a thousand more in the streets beyond that were too far away to get a good look at. All of them returned his stares. There were Kitsune, Elves, he assumed some morphs, and Ferals of all varieties. The Kitsune and the Ferals were the most varied, their fur like rainbows and the Ferals with so many different races among he could scarcely comprehend them. He recognized the Nagas, the Harpies, and the Dragonesses from his experience with the High Council, but there were others. Some looked vaguely like cats, dogs, foxes, wolves… others were creatures he could find no analogy for, viscous fluid-like material, strange plant-like beings that moved with fluidity and grace, and others beyond comprehension at all.

The only thing the entire crowd had in common was their look of absolute wonder, a look that he felt certain was echoed on his own face. For a long while, there was only silence, as everyone looked at Hadrian, and he in turn looked at everyone.

“Perhaps you should say something, milord,” Alonna said quietly, gently nudging Hadrian with her elbow. “This is the first time these people have lain eyes upon the Lord, the first time they have heard any news save that you have arrived, and a first impression may do wonders.”

“H-hello, everyone,” Hadrian stumbled, more out of habit and automatic response than any proper thought. The silence maintained save for those words, no one yet brave enough to respond to his greeting.

“I cannot help but wonder at what you are all thinking. I’m not even sure what I would be thinking. I mean, I can guess, but not really know, you know? I, uh… what I mean to say is that I want to get to know all of you. Over time. I want to meet everyone in the kingdom at least once, and I want you to know…”

Hadrian tried to compose himself, to calm the flush in his cheeks and the stutter in his speech, but it was all for naught. In the end, he decided that if he were to make a fool out of himself, he at least wanted to make a sincere fool.

“I don’t know much more about what to expect than any of you. Uh, but since so much has changed for all of us, the only thing I can do is tell all of you to look ahead. I want to hear what you all have to say, and I hope that together we can forge a brighter future. What I know of this land seems amazing already, and I know that together we can make it an even more prosperous place. All that I ask is your patience, understanding, and that you trust me with the responsibilities I have been given. I want to make Rafflesia City a shining beacon of prosperity in a kingdom of peace and unity, and above all else a place of joy and pleasure. Please, continue with what you were doing before. I came to be among you and have my first taste of life in this world… I would greatly appreciate it if I could see at least a semblance of what your lives are normally like.”

For a few seconds nothing happened. Hadrian thought that his words had taken no effect, or that he hadn’t spoken loudly enough. He was surprised his voice wavered as little as it did; he didn’t believe half of what he’d said himself – particularly the bits about trusting himself with responsibilities, considering he still wasn't totally sure of what responsibilities he had to deal with.

A few moments later he saw his worry was for naught, however. A few low mumbles rose from the crowd, quiet and whispered conversations too low for him to make out. Then as if the universe’s own “play” button had been pressed, the frozen crowd resumed. If not for the occasional stolen glances and playful winks he got, Hadrian might have actually believed they hadn’t noticed him at all.

“I was going to suggest that you order them to stay a certain distance away so that you were not overwhelmed,” Alonna said quietly, “but I suppose that this is just as effective. Not surprising that they’re only obeying to the bare minimum, though, given the shock they must all be feeling.”

“Obeying? I didn’t even give an order,” Hadrian replied tensely, unsure of what he was watching. Everyone below was trying to avoid eye contact with him, but every now and then he could catch a glimpse of someone whose gaze had lingered a little too long.

“You asked them to go about their business as normal,” Alonna shrugged with her words as if the implications were not as staggering as they sounded. “That’s all that was needed. They may want to speak with you, to touch you, to pleasure you, but if you ask that they act as if you never appeared, they will grant you that. Of course, one can only guess at how long their patience may last...”

“This is too much responsibility for one man,” Hadrian grumbled. “Let’s go, Alonna. Perhaps I can fix this without looking the fool. Somehow.”

“Your speech was a good start. A little cliché, but… perhaps that’s not bad. People could use a little familiarity when the unknown is staring them in the face.”

Hadrian walked forward, Alonna falling in behind him right in step. Hadrian was sure that even in his old life - if he had one - he had never been as nervous as he felt walking into that crowd with nothing covering him but a pair of bracers.

He descended the stone stairs that lay just beyond the gates, gently setting his feet down, aware that even though those in the marketplace would not approach him, they were certainly keeping an eye on him. He did not wish his first impression to be a stoic faceplant into the cobblestone. He made his way toward the center, deciding on how best to approach the situation.

“I suppose if they will not acknowledge me, I must go to them.”

With that thought Hadrian did his best to put his nervousness aside, and approached the first woman that he saw not currently occupied. It wasn’t hard to find one – many were simply standing around or circling the marketplace, their version of "pretending" to go about their business. He would've laughed, but at least they weren't overwhelming him, so he couldn't fault them too much.

He found himself enraptured in conversation with a woman who had the torso of a spider, eight long legs blending almost seamlessly into a torso that more closely resembled his own, only with chitinous plating where its abs and several other bulging muscles should’ve been. She called herself a Drider. Her figure was still intimidating, yet she glanced at him with a mixture of shyness and adoration, brushing against him with fingers that looked sharp but somehow felt almost silken as they gently caressed his arm. Hadrian saw no motion from Alonna; he wasn’t sure if she was accurately evaluating that the woman meant no harm, or if touching was so common in this world that it wasn’t worth approaching over.

It must have been the second, because every encounter Hadrian had was much the same, no matter how shy or outgoing the person he talked to was. He met several Kitsune, all of whom had a partner closely attached to their hip it seemed. Then there were the morphs, who came in all shapes and sizes, and were only given away by the ivory irises that stuck out greatly, even in such a large crowd. There were also elves, and Ferals. 

So very, very many Ferals. Hadrian met a woman with a tail as long as he was tall, covered in scales and with a fanged grin that sent chills down his spine, as hard as he tried not to show it. Two more with scales were shorter, but had the muscles and attitudes of someone twice their size, and neither held any qualms about groping Hadrian’s ass as they snuck by. That one got a snort from Alonna, but she didn’t do anything more than step a little closer to his backside when the next one approached.

“Kobolds,” Alonna muttered. “No boundaries, even for the Lord, it would seem.”

Eventually it seemed he’d approached a few too many people, as they started to approach him of their own volition. Perhaps he’d seemed too open, or said something to one of the crowd had interpreted as wanting them to approach. Whatever the case was, while Hadrian wasn’t exactly mobbed, he was certainly overwhelmed, confronted on every side. As soon as he’d given a few moments of time to one person two more would step up. Alonna was his only safety; while they were eager to approach him, none dared intrude on her space, and her glare could send even a woman twice her size scattering. Like the centaur who looked ready to give Hadrian the most powerful bear hug he’d ever received, but was cowed when Alonna merely took a single step forward after seeing Hadrian’s flinch.

Still, her efforts were helpful but not exactly pacifying. The crowd was too large to be completely calmed, even had there been more than one guard. Eventually Hadrian started to grow weary, and more than a little exasperated. He bid an older elven woman with pale ivory skin and dark golden hair farewell, then stepped away and put his mouth as close to Alonna’s ear as he could to ensure he was heard.

“I think I’ve had enough of this, but I don’t want to return to the castle. Could we find some place less… crowded?”

“Certainly. The Lord will be departing now,” Alonna said, addressing the crowd quite loudly with the last bit. Then Hadrian felt a pair of arms wrap lightly around him, followed by air whisking by his face. The world around him was such a blur that all he could see was Alonna’s shoulder under his chin, and that didn’t change until he finally felt everything come to a stop over the span of a few moments. Then he could see again, though his eyes told him that he was in a completely new area from where he was before.

The stalls and tall, magnificent structures housing more extravagant shops were replaced with simpler, but still impressive buildings now one-by-one. They had yards, brief spurts of grass and flowers and trees across what was otherwise a white-and-gray horizon of marble and stone. Hadrian could only assume what they were, but he asked Alonna anyway to make certain he was right.

“Correct, Lord. This is the housing district – a part of it, at least. This is the district reserved for large houses – those with large or extended families who would be more comfortable in a home with six, seven, sometimes eight or more bedrooms. Occasionally they are re-built or restructured when needed but for the most part they are all-purpose and will suit many.”

“But how will we meet anyone? If they’re all in their homes I have no intention of barging in to greet them.”

“No, Lord, that was not my first thought. But a block from here there is a square where many residents gather when the weather is nice and their day’s work is completed. I would have brought us straight there, but I wanted you to have time to prepare yourself, and to avoid causing an uproar so that you might have a calmer time of it.”

“Thank you,” Hadrian said, nodding in gratitude. “Let’s go.”

The square was as beautiful as the marketplace, even more so because of the multitudes of bushes, trees, and sculpted shrubberies that lined the place. Some people sat at tables, sipping on mixtures that filled the air with the scent of pine and fruit, with witty banter to fill the moments between drinks. Children played, while adults talked, exercised, or simply basked in the sunlight. And from somewhere that Hadrian couldn’t quite locate, music gently floated through the air, soft and unobtrusive, but somehow clear above the background noise.

Unlike before, Hadrian had no warning or time to address those here before they approached him, slowly as it was. Perhaps they had already heard of his visit to the marketplace, or perhaps they simply recognized him. Eyarra had seemed to when she first saw him as well. Being the only man probably made it quite easy, actually. Either way, he didn’t want to order them away. At their worst they were a tenth of the crowd that had been in the marketplace. He greeted one after another, this time able to spend at least a little time chatting without feeling like he was depriving everyone else. It was a strange feeling to be so… wanted. Not bad, just… strange.

This time when Hadrian decided he needed to stop it wasn’t because of any amount of stress, but simply because his stomach was growling. He was suddenly regretting not being in the castle for lunch.

“Alonna, perhaps we should leave soon. I’ve skipped one meal and forced you as well, it would be cruel to miss dinner. Besides, it will be dark soon, judging by the sun,” Hadrian said, smiling a little. Alonna returned it curtly, and nodded.

“Very well. Allow me just a moment, and-“

“Excuse me… did I hear you say something about food?”

To Hadrian’s left, a harpy pushed through the crowd. She was beautiful, though that seemed to be the norm around here, her azure feathers gleaming brightly in the daylight. Her skin was a soft white with only a hint of coloring to it, almost able to out-shine the ocean swirl patterns in her feathers. Behind her a lily-white harpy clung to her side, surprisingly flexible wing wrapped around the waist of her companion.

“I, ah… well, I’m sure you have amazing cooks at the castle, but… if we could convince you to stick around, you could eat at our home. Harpies are really good at cooking.”

Hadrian thought about that. He looked to Alonna for advice, but her usual stony demeanor gave him no hints as to her opinion. He was torn; he honestly missed the company of those he was most familiar with, especially after a day of greeting strangers. On the other hand, he didn’t want to appear even remotely rude on his first visit, and he thought this might be an interesting chance to get to know them.

“I’d be honored, but are you certain we wouldn’t be imposing?”

“Not at all,” the harpy said, smiling. “My partner and I are used to preparing large meals, it will be no trouble at all.”

“Very well, then. Unless Alonna has any objections?”

“To your wishes? Never,” Alonna said, bowing her head politely.

“Right… then please, lead the way. If… if everyone could just make a path, please,” Hadrian said, raising his arms and trying to get a bit of a clearing. It didn’t take long – the harpies pointed themselves in a direction, and immediately the crowd made way, stepping aside one by one until a nearly five-foot wide path was made. The white harpy led the way, while the one covered in cerulean feathers graced his side.

“My name is Arriat,” she said quickly, as she moved especially close to Hadrian but avoided actually touching him. “My partner is Torria. We live in a small home a few blocks from here. Our children will be so amazed to see you here. When word spread of your arrival they were flying around the house for days – I envy them a little, myself. To grow up in a world where the Lord has arrived must be a truly different experience. Why, young Tiplie is only seventy-two years old!”

“I know a thing or two about unique experiences,” Hadrian said, mostly to himself.

“Oh, I’m sure the Lord has had all kinds of experiences, even in his first few days,” Arriat said, missing his point but still not being entirely inaccurate. “I’m humbled you agreed to come with us… Torria suggested it, but she was too shy to approach you herself.”

“I… ah… my cooking skills are pretty good, but nowhere near the level of the staff at your castle. I didn’t want to impose on you or make you sacrifice just to join us.”

“She’s always so down on herself,” Arriat said without giving Hadrian a chance to respond. “Trust me, once you have a taste of her cooking you’re gonna want to hire her!”

“Arriat, please,” Torria pleaded. “Don’t be so forward with the Lord, he’s-“

“It’s fine,” Hadrian said, laughing as he cut off Torria before she could become even more nervous. “I appreciate being treated like a normal person… I’m sure I won’t get many chances from now on.”

“Well, nothing like a little home cooking to feel normal,” Arriat said. “And here we are!”

The building they had brought Hadrian too looked normal enough from the outside, except that it was three whole stories taller than the houses around it. Most of the houses in the area, as a matter of fact. Plus, the noise level was off the chart. Even from several yards away a massive amount of noise seeped through the walls and the doorway. There was a unique-looking door that was currently wide open; Hadrian wondered if it wasn't soundproofed to prevent the noise.

“It looks like we’ll have our talons full tonight,” Torria said, sighing as she made her way through the doorway. Strangely enough the house had a large, open doorway that stood nearly ten feet wide and seven feet tall, but no actual door.

“You make it sound like that isn’t normal,” Arriat teased her partner, carefully slipping in front of Hadrian and making her way inside. Hadrian was a little ways back, but he could clearly hear her as she shouted. 

“All of you! Quiet down, the Lord is here!”

There was a long moment of silence. Hadrian hesitated in front of the doorway, wondering what to expect. A moment later, the air burst forth in laughter and a cacophony of voices that were so intermingled and loud Hadrian couldn’t make any of them out.

“It would seem they do not believe her,” Alonna said, her ears twitching and a somewhat discomforted look on her face. “I suggest we enter, before this racket pains even you.”

Well, Alonna’s polite impassivity seemed to only extend to him. It didn’t matter, he’d have the situation resolved shortly. Hadrian took a deep breath and then strode around the doorframe ahead of him. The moment he entered, as his gaze swept across the room, an ominous silence filled the air.

If Hadrian kept his eyes level, it could almost be taken for a normal house on the inside. Benches and chairs filled the area – nothing with cushions, but instead extravagant woods and metals. There was no carpet but a fine tiled floor. The design was simple, and somewhat clashing – the white floor, the blue walls, and the dark browns and reds and grays of the furniture didn’t exactly match, but rather seemed a menagerie of functional and sophisticated furniture with little and no relation to each other. 

Above, however, the house was more a bizarre model of engineering than anything. Out from the walls, supported by no obvious columns, platforms jutted into the open air, with a great deal of floor space spread out over multiple elevations and positions throughout the building. Each seemed to have its own theme or function, including a set of nests in one, a small study in another, and he thought he spied one that was just a set of metal poles in odd shapes. Beyond that, he couldn't see - the rest were too far elevated for him to see from this angle.

Added to that collection of colorful pieces were the inhabitants themselves – Hadrian counted five harpies in total, including Arriat and Torria. The three others were younger, that much was clear by their size alone. Each was at least a foot shorter than the adults, who were both right around Hadrian’s level. They otherwise appeared as proportionate, smaller versions of their parents. 

One had a gold and blue spray across her wings, and was sitting perched on a metal rod extending from the wall about six feet up, putting her feet about at head level. The other was a lighter teal mixed with splotches of white, like spilled paint. She seemed to be the youngest judging purely by size, a few inches shorter than the other two, and her expression was as blank as her eyes were wide while she stared at Hadrian. She was just ahead, one toe absentmindedly tapping a talon against the tile. The last one was a dark crimson that faded into black at the very tips of her wings. She was hanging upside down from an upper level, a book resting on a special shelf there, her talons still paused in the middle of turning a page.

“I swear, if any of you accuse us of being liars again I’m grounding you all,” Arriat said, rolling her eyes.

Then all hell broke loose, as every one of the children rushed toward Hadrian at breakneck speeds. He literally saw feathers fly as the two above dropped off their perches and the third’s claws made light tapping noises as she dashed forward. Hadrian saw all of this for only a moment, because as soon as it started all three of them came to a crashing halt when Alonna planted herself firmly between him and the approaching children.

“You are frightening him. Calm yourselves, now.”

It was the first time Hadrian had ever seen Alonna so forceful – even when the crowd had nearly overwhelmed him, she’d focused on protecting him over punishing anyone. But now with clear targets causing his distress she seemed extremely quick to shut it down.

“Y-yes ma’am, sorry Mistress Alonna!” one of them blurted out. The other two remained silent, although one of them actually went so far as to flap her wings and fly backward several feet, desperately trying to avoid the harsh glare and words of Hadrian’s guard.

“Can we keep you forever?” Arriat said, her surprise at seeing the children’s obedience obvious on her face.

“I am sworn to another, I fear,” Alonna said. Her voice was back to being calm, but Hadrian thought he heard a bit of amusement in it.

“Perhaps we should go straight to dinner,” Torria said, evidently eager to move things along and avoid any more rushes. “You three will get plenty of chances to speak with him, as long as you behave from now on.”

“Yes mom,” all three said, almost in unison.

“They can learn,” Arriat sighed, rolling her eyes and pressing a feathered arm to her face. “It’s a miracle.

\------

“That was wonderful,” Hadrian said as he sat back after finishing off the last of his plate. Truthfully, it wasn’t quite up to par with the foods at the castle, but he hadn’t expected one person to match what was apparently an entire staff, especially in their own home for an unexpected guest. Their cutlery was pretty interesting too – plates, which looked like they’d almost never been used before, and no silverware to speak of. I couldn’t help my occasional glances as the harpies deftly picked away at the steaks using nothing more than their talons. They had, however, been kind enough to dice Hadrian and Alonna’s food into cubes.

“I’m honored to hear that,” Arriat said, smiling. “I used to be a cook, a few centuries ago. I handle most of the cooking, so it hasn’t slipped much.”

“You’ve asked me so many questions during the meal,” Hadrian said, casting his gaze toward the children, who were huddled at one end of the table and constantly whispering to themselves, “but I feel like I know nothing at all about you. You say you used to be a cook, what do you do now?”

“I’m a soldier in the Royal Guard,” Arriat said, her grin widening. “Personal protection at your service, just call! I used to be a cook for the Verdant Pass Guard, but I worked my way up through the ranks, kissed a little ass, and wound up here.”

“What about you, Torria? You’ve been extremely quiet.”

“Sorry, I don’t talk much. I work as an assistant to Varrite, I’m sure you already know who she is. I take care of the day-to-day operations of the Verdant Pass Guard if she ever finds herself too busy with High Council duties to perform them.”

“Those both seem like extremely high positions… no wonder you have such a large home,” Hadrian said with a smile. “I did not expect this kind of layout, but I suppose for harpies it only makes sense.”

“We do require some odd living arrangements when we’re forced into an urban setting,” Arriat agreed. “Enchanted tile floors to avoid scratching, roosting posts to make standing around more comfortable, not to mention the floor plans. Poor Metti had to have a custom shelf installed just so she could comfortably read books. It’s why most of the harpies living in Rafflesia City are high-ranking – not only do we try to avoid cities unless our job requires them, but the money required to build one of these homes, or convert an older one? Nothing even a Royal Guard can laugh at, let me tell you.”

“That’s incredible,” Hadrian said with a laugh. “But where am I going to sleep? I’d rather not be somewhere I can’t get to and from on my own.”

“We do have a guest room,” Arriat said with a few nods. “Torria thought it was a bit silly, but we put it in anyway.”

Arriat gave a wave of her wing back toward the far wall. Hadrian noticed a doorway – this time complete with actual door – sitting in the middle of the house. Honestly, given the rest of the architecture it was almost stunning in its simple normality. Inside Hadrian saw a simple bed, with no real furniture or decoration surrounding it. The room was carpeted, but it looked oddly untouched - as if few had ever even set foot on the blue strands. The walls were plain concrete, painted over to match the sheets and the carpet, a sky blue, the irony of which was not lost on him.

“Come on, we’re done here anyway,” Arriat said, pulling Hadrian away toward the room. “Let’s show you where you’ll be staying tonight!”

“Arriat, I’ll take care of the children,” Torria said, ushering the three of them away with the plates and clearing off the table while they all floated off – to the kitchen? Hadrian didn’t even have time to look up to attempt to answer that. One moment he was hearing Torria’s last words, the next Arriat was stuffing him into the back room. She barely waited for Alonna to clear it before throwing it shut and turning to face Hadrian.

The look on her face didn’t seem to set Alonna off, but Hadrian felt it looked primal. The look of a predator.

“How much do you know about our culture?” Arriat asked, leaning in and brushing a feather up Hadrian’s chest. The tickling sensation sent shivers across his body, but he did his best to maintain composure.

“Depends on what you’re talking about,” Hadrian said, quietly. “I know a little of the city and the castle, a bit about the continent, but not much about harpies.”

“We like a few things in our mates,” Arriat said, leaning in close and putting both arms on his chest. “Phyiscal strength and mental strength are two of the most important. I haven’t known you long, but just by your position, I’m willing to bet you have both.”

“I would hate to disappoint,” Hadrian said, uncertain as to how smart it was to downplay his strength or be honest about his capabilities. Instead he settled for taking the initiative, something he was starting to grow a little bolder with. He pressed forward and pulled Arriat into him, her hips knocking against his own with a little more sharpness than he expected. Her body was so thin it was little but skin, bone, and feathers, and the feathers were proving a little less cushiony than they appeared. Arriat didn’t seem to notice.

“Mmm, well I know one thing that won’t disappoint,” she said, her arm slowly moving downward. Her groin had already been grinding against him, consciously or not, and by the time her feathers brushed over his member, Hadrian was already starting to harden.

“I certainly hope not… Alonna, will you be joining us?” Hadrian asked, eyeing her quickly.

“Not on your first day… I would rather keep an eye out,” Alonna said, hand absently stroking the bottom end of her bow.

“Let her watch,” Arriat said, running her wing along the length of Hadrian’s cock. “It’ll make it even more exciting.”

Hadrian didn’t bother to argue, a little more comfortable with the idea than he probably would’ve been a month or two ago. He started sliding toward the bed, one arm still firmly grasping the harpy’s slim waist. She followed without resistance, actually lifting her legs up and wrapping them around his waist. Arriat was light, and Hadrian wondered how much of her biology she shared with an actual bird.

Then all thoughts were wiped from his mind as she twisted, hard, and both of them slammed onto the bed. Arriat showed off whatever warrior skill she had by managing to keep perfectly aware of her own position; by the time they had settled on the bed, Hadrian was pinned firmly under her as she did her best to maneuver on the bed without tearing the sheets and mattress to shreds.

“I hope you don’t mind if I cut past the foreplay…” Arriat said, literally licking her lips as she started to grind on Hadrian. “I’ve been dripping since halfway through dinner.”

Arriat’s words were an understatement; her vulva was coating his entire groin in juices that started to shut down Hadrian’s mind. It was like her very scent was filling his thoughts, and the feeling of her surprisingly soft skin and feathers gliding along his body only served to further occupy his thoughts. The only thing Hadrian could think to do was thrust upward, grinding his own hips against her body and enjoying the softness of her body.

“Not at all,” Hadrian said with a grin. “If I’ve learned to enjoy one thing here, it’s a woman who knows what she wants.”

“Well, I want you,” Arriat whispered, her voice soft despite the intensity of her motions. As she finished speaking, she reached down with a wing, somehow managing to deftly maneuver Hadrian’s dick until it was upright and pressing into her core. She gave no further warning or delays, and with a single thrust she hilted Hadrian deep inside of her.

Arriat’s insides were like none of Hadrian’s previous partners. They were surprisingly tough, both firm and unyielding in ways that he found exhilarating. The texture was ridged and its firmness made it tight, but Arriat was so unbelievably wet that it didn’t matter. She was bouncing on him with apparent ease, but the stimulation was still so impressive Hadrian could feel his urge to cum rising already.

“Like I was saying, there are two things that all Ferals look for in a mate,” Arriat explained, her voice surprisingly seductive despite the educational tone she took, “physical power, and commanding power. You have both.”

“Why tell me this now?” Hadrian asked, clasping his hands onto her sides. As he ran his hands over her curves, he noticed the many feathers did nothing to impede his progress. They clung tightly to her, and were so numerous and interwoven it was more akin to a soft silken shirt that she could not remove. Her hips, breasts, and crotch were all uncovered, though, leaving him plenty of smooth skin to mix with the downy feathers.

“Because I want you to understand why I brought you here,” Arriat whispered huskily. “And why I’m going to fuck you through this mattress.”

Arriat’s simple, easy words were matched by a simple, but very hard pace. She didn’t waste any time between finishing her sentence and beginning a vigorous, pulsating rhythm that carried her thin waist up and down with such speed Hadrian could scarcely see more than a swirl of pale skin and blue feathers.

“Ahh, in all my centuries, I never dreamed it would feel quite this good!”

“And I never dreamed you’d start without me. Ah, who am I kidding? I’m lucky you’re not already done.”

“I’m no quick lay,” Arriat countered as Torria gently stepped inside. “You should know that.”

“I also know how long you’ve been waiting for this… tell me, Lord, is she wet? Practically dripping with desire? She’s fantasized about your arrival for weeks, ever since they first made the announcement that you had appeared. Why last night, we even did a bit of roleplaying…”

“Oh, Torria…”

Though she sounded as if she were chastising her lover, Arriat’s moan was one of pure pleasure as she recalled some erotic night of passion. Torria took advantage of the momentary distraction as she moved in, gripping Arriat by the neck. She pulled her back, displaying Arriat’s full flexibility – even as she was bent nearly in half, the harpy kept thrusting on Hadrian’s cock while her mouth was steadily lowered until it was level with Torria’s pussy.

“Come now, you’re taking the Lord’s first round, you had better make it up to me.”

“Yes, Torria,” Arriat said meekly, making Hadrian’s eyes shoot open. Wasn’t Arriat the soldier, and Torria the cook? Seeing how easily she bent to Torria’s ministrations and how subservient she suddenly started acting put Hadrian off.

“What’s wrong? Surprised?” Torria asked. Hadrian looked up from where Arriat was suckling to gaze into her eyes.

“Ferals are all about strength. Harpies more than average, but we’re definitely not the worst. Just because I’m a glorified secretary doesn’t mean that I slack off on my training… Arriat here hasn’t beaten me in a month, so she’s my little cunt warmer until she can figure out how to beat me again.”

Arriat let out a moan that sounded somewhere between indignant and pleasured, and Hadrian could tell by the slowly fragmenting thrusts of her hips that she was getting closer and closer to finishing. Not that he blamed her; the sight of fucking a girl while she ate out her mate was so intoxicatingly arousing that Hadrian was having a hard time holding back himself, thrusting upward to make up for the pressure she’d lost by being bent in half.

“You know, perhaps in the morning we could get the children to wake you up,” Torria said, one hand across her mouth as the other stroked Arriat’s chest. “Allara and Metti are both old enough, and I think Metti has a crush on you.”

Hadrian fought the urge to laugh at the sheer casualness which Torria brought up the subject. With his lack of memories Hadrian wasn’t always certain what was ‘normal’, per say, but the lack of shame on anyone’s part in this place was astonishing. Though, he couldn’t deny the idea of adding the older daughters to the mix was appealing. Arriat was making noise but Hadrian couldn’t understand the words, if there were any, though judging by their intensity, she was getting close.

“That’s it… lick harder, get me ready for him,” Torria commanded, starting to roughly grind her hips into her partner’s face. Arriat let out a moan that escalated as her partner’s vulva slid across her entire face, until it reached a fevered scream. Arriat’s pussy contracted in a twirling motion, actually twisting around Hadrian’s dick as it grew tighter around him. Hadrian couldn’t stop the grunt as he was caught between pleasure and pain, his approaching orgasm stopped as Arriat squeezed him so tightly he couldn’t even come properly.

“Omyguhd thith ith- incredible!” Arriat screamed, muffled at first and then abruptly clear as her entire body convulsed, pulling her all the way back up until she was on top of Hadrian again, slamming herself up and down. She was gushing as she did so, relieving just enough of the friction between to let her thrust all the way through her orgasm.

“Want a taste, my Lord?”

Hadrian had been so focused on Arriat trying to asphyxiate his cock that he hadn’t noticed Torria, no longer being serviced, circling around him and placing herself directly overhead. Rather than attempt to force him under her as she had with her mate, though, Torria waited patiently, a wry smirk coated with sheer lust. Hadrian got a good look at a harpy’s lower lips for the first time, and noted how odd it was to see such soft inner skin surrounded by silken feathers.

“If you prefer, we can get straight to the main course.”

Hadrian didn’t bother to think up a witty quip. He let his mouth do the talking in much more entertaining ways. Before she could escape, Hadrian leaned up into her crotch and began lapping away at the nectar escaping her petals, tasting the unusual flavor. He’d had opportunities to do this with most of his partners, so he was hopeful he would live up to expectations, but none had quite this texture.

The feathers lining her womanhood would occasionally brush him as he circled his tongue, tickling him and adding a very unusual form of stimulation. Her fluids were thinner than he was used to, and slippery – in a rather cliché way it was like tasting the air itself on her folds. There was a certain strength to it as well, as every time he thrust his tongue into her, Torria would clamp down almost as hard as Arriat was.

Arriat herself was slowing down rapidly, her body shivering and shaking as she came down from her climax. Rather than lift herself off she collapsed onto the bed, falling free of Hadrian completely. His cock stung a little as it bent uncomfortably, still rock-hard and ready for more. Torria did not take long to notice.

“My, it would seem you know how to restrain yourself,” Torria murmured between gasps. “I had thought I would have to work you back up to this, but it seems as if you’re more than ready to go.”

Hadrian almost warned her he was seconds from bursting, but thought better of it as Torria proceeded to move around her partner’s unconscious body, placing herself directly above his member.

“I should warn you…” she said lightly, touching Hadrian’s tip to her core, “I won’t go easy like Arriat.”

With no time given for him to contemplate just what that meant for him, Torria began to give Hadrian the ride of his life. Rather than brace herself with her hands she was actively using her wings to actually lift her body up and then slam herself back down. The bed was shaking and rattling, threatening to cave at any moment as Hadrian’s pelvis screamed. But despite that the firm, tight folds of Torria’s pussy were sending stimulation through every part of his cock at once, reigniting the embers Arriat had left untended.

“Sh-sh-shit,” Hadrian stumbled out as his entire body was thrown back and forth as if there were almost no weight to it at all. Alonna was still sitting in the corner, her usual impassivity surrounding her, but Hadrian thought he could just see a trace of amusement. He must not have been in any real danger… but then again, how much more durable was an elf? Would the bracelets protect against rough sex? 

Did he care, in the face of so much pleasure?

“I’m gonna give you everything I can… I want you to come back and beg for more… I want to show you what a harpy can do, and I want you to think about me when you go back to that castle,” Torria shouted, possessiveness rising as her pleasure did. 

Even though she was just as tight as Arriat, Hadrian’s orgasm couldn’t be denied long. He was thankful that Torria had already been worked to a near climax, because in just a few minutes of her skillful half-flight, half-ride, Hadrian could feel an unstoppable pleasure building. He instinctively grabbed onto Torria’s hips, an action that did not cause her to stop, but rather to increase the pace even further. Rather than impacts, all Hadrian could feel as his orgasm started to wash over him was constant vibration.

“Cu-u-u-m for me-e-e-e!” Torria shouted, screeching in a half-animal cry as she slammed her hips down one final time, clenching for all she was worth. Every fiber of Hadrian’s being seemed to funnel into forcing cum into her womb, as he battled the extreme tightness with one of the most intense orgasms of his life. Torria bent forward and clutched her feathery arms around him when their orgasms began to subside, an unusually intimate and soft gesture given what they had just experienced together. Arriat remained a quivering wreck on the side of the mattress, but Torria pulled her closer as well before whispering to John.

“Say,” she whispered, her lips tickling his neck as she nuzzled him, “How would you like breakfast in bed tomorrow?”

Arriat just chuckled at her lover's tease. Hadrian let out a soft groan while making a mental note to himself. Ferals, it would seem, were as horny as Kitsune… without the subtlety.


	5. Chapter 5

** Chapter 5 of The Erotic World is a Premium Chapter; the full version can be found on Smashwords right [here!](https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/713152) **

** Any and all purchases go to support my continuation of this series, and I truly appreciate everyone reading this, regardless of whether or not you purchase this chapter. Roughly 40% of chapters will be premium, while the rest will be free forever. The next free chapter will be Chapter 7. Approximately 40% of Chapter 5 is presented below as a sample. Enjoy! **

Even after Hadrian woke the next morning, Arriat and Torria refused to leave his side. Every moment he had spent in their house since leaving the dinner table had been awash in pleasure. Every move they made seemed calculated to provide the maximum amount of stimulation, every word seemed to come as close to a double entendre as they could make it. When they weren’t fucking, they were riling each other up for the next round. It wasn’t until Hadrian’s third orgasm of the morning that he finally got a long enough breather to start saying his goodbyes. He’d lost count of how many times they woke him up in the middle of the night.

“Are you certain you need nothing else? I suppose there is little that we can provide that the many servants at the Lord’s Castle cannot, but we would be happy to do anything we can, all the same.”

“No, I’m quite alright Arriat, but don’t think I don’t appreciate the offer,” Hadrian said, reaching up and caressing her cheek.

“Excellent… if all your needs have been met, you should survive this next part with your sanity intact,” Torria said. There was a dangerous gleam in her eye, one that had Hadrian on edge. Alonna moved her hand noticeably toward the bow on her back.

“Come on in, girls!”

The door burst open as if an invading army were approaching. Two of the harpy children, Metti and Allara, both burst through and headed straight for Hadrian. Alonna jerked slightly, hand twitching toward her weapon, training kicking in, then she eased up as she noticed the people entering. A soft smile touched upon her face, and slowly she turned to Hadrian, cocking an eyebrow as she spoke.

“Would you like me to assist you, Lord? It might help, if they are to learn how a woman should treat the Lord,” Alonna offered, holding out a hand in a gesture of aid.

“Please, by all means,” Hadrian returned, motioning to the two harpies who were suddenly crowding around him, pushing him steadily back toward the bed. Truthfully, with how worn he was from the previous night, he didn’t entirely have faith that he could handle both Allara and Metti; any help he could get in satisfying the young harpies would’ve been a welcome reprieve. Still, he couldn’t find it in him to say no to such willing and eager participants.

“Very well. Stand at attention!”

Metti and Allara both stood stock still, freezing as if by magic rather than command. They were still holding on to Hadrian for a moment, but then decided better of it, releasing him and stepping back quickly. Their feathers stood nearly on end as they straightened their backs and glanced toward Alonna, perhaps not expecting the sudden change in demeanor.

“The first step toward intimacy is familiarity. Lord, why don’t you explore their bodies? They seem eager to take charge; perhaps it would be best for them to learn some patience, first.”

Hadrian couldn’t find any reason he wouldn’t enjoy exploring the body of a nubile harpy, so he obliged, stepping forward where the two young women had stepped back. Their bodies were a bit less developed than Arriat and Torria’s, but their figures were still deliciously developed. Hadrian started with Metti, her dark crimson feathers brushing up against him as he positioned himself against her body, eagerly drinking in her somewhat nervous expression.

“Not used to letting others take charge? I’ve had plenty of time to adjust to it, let me show you what it’s like from the other side,” Hadrian whispered, coming in close and latching on to the young woman’s neck. Metti let out a soft gasp as Hadrian alternated kisses and short nibbles along her collar, teasing the sensitive skin beneath her feathers. She had no taste, but her feathers tickled his tongue, making the experience a very interesting one regardless.

“I- ah, I’ve never had anything… up there… get me nice and wet,” Metti begged as Hadrian devoured her collarbone, gripping his back as though it were her only harbor from a storm of passion.

“Don’t worry,” Hadrian replied, enjoying the feeling of being the more experienced one for the first time since he’d arrived. “We have all day.”

“Oh, Lord, I hope so,” Metti said, her voice quaking as Hadrian sank them down onto the bed together. The sheets Hadrian had grown intimately familiar with overnight became his playground now, as the young harpy was content to allow him free access to every inch of her body, feathers and skin sliding against each other in a dance of pleasure. Allara moved forward until her knees were knocking against the end of the bed, her eyes shimmering with a mixture of jealousy and delight.

Hadrian worked his way down her body, alternately kissing and licking wherever her feathers seemed the thinnest. A throaty cooing sound came every time his lips touched her skin, not unlike an actual bird’s. Hadrian sought out those noises, making the most of his newfound role and eking out every ounce of pleasure he could from his captive. As Hadrian reached Metti’s stomach, he felt her legs slowly wrapping around his back. The girl had strength, he could tell that much, but she seemed to be keeping it in check.

“Mmm, go ahead, I can’t wait,” Metti said as Hadrian slid down to his knees, placing his head firmly at her entrance. He moved closer until his breath was tickling her skin and he could feel her legs twitching around him with each exhale. Metti made a low moaning sound, but didn’t try to encourage Hadrian any further. Both of her wings were locked over her mouth to quiet her desires, but that only encouraged Hadrian further. After the wonderful hell he’d been subject to the night before, his own desires were secondary to making the young harpy scream.

Hadrian started off by running his tongue gently along her skin, circling her reddened lips and growing closer with each stroke. His arms gently snaked around her thighs, holding them steady so that he didn’t have to worry about her surprisingly firm muscles clamping down on his neck. Metti was obviously fighting the urge to squeeze, but the twitches and moans she gave with every stroke of his tongue told him it was not a simple task.

“Ah, so this is the Lord’s tongue… so gentle, but I can feel how rough you can be,” Metti hummed, her chest actually vibrating a little as Hadrian began to get more and more into each lick.

“You don’t have to hold back, Lord… she’s used to me, and I can get a little out of hand,” Allara teased, having shuffled around from the end of the bed until she was standing beside Hadrian. Her feathers lightly brushed against her sister’s skin as she rubbed against her outer thighs and stomach, causing Metti to twitch back and forth and giggle between her moans.

Hadrian wanted to take it easy and slow so that he had a bit more time to warm up and recover, but he found himself pressing more fervently with his ministrations. The thought of the two sisters spending so many nights together as lovers was a strangely exciting thought. Metti gushing and moaning under the eager hands and tongue of her older sister, riding out orgasm after orgasm… despite the fact that he’d seen similar relationships among the High Council’s visiting family, there was still something erotically taboo about the whole situation to him.

Before Hadrian knew what he was doing, his face was buried in Metti’s crotch, lapping eagerly at her soft, puffy lips. Metti groaned and flailed her arms lightly on the sheets every time he paused to pay more attention to her clit, and her thighs gently massaged his head, urging him to enjoy her even more.

“Ah, that’s so good, show me how much you want me,” Metti purred.

“She’s a needy one, isn’t she?” Allara whispered, leaning in close. “Don’t worry; I’ll quiet her down so that you can work.”

At first, Hadrian thought that she was going to take a lesson from her parents and mount Metti – something he would’ve been more than happy to repeat – but instead she leaned over and captured her sister’s lips in a passionate kiss, lips crashing together in a display of not-quite-sisterly affection. Hadrian could just make it out over Metti’s budding tits, and the sight encouraged him further. Judging by the way Metti’s pussy was nearly dripping onto his lips, she was enjoying it just as much.

While she was distracted, Hadrian decided he didn’t want to be outdone. Allara and Metti had years of practice pleasuring each other – he had to take this seriously. Reaching around Metti’s thighs, Hadrian slipped a finger inside of her moist folds, moving his mouth up to focus all his attention on her tiny clit. She reacted almost immediately, losing what little restraint she had left and actively grinding into Hadrian’s tongue, pressing hard against his invading digit.

“Please, up!” Metti cried, breaking away from Allara just long enough to let out those words. Hadrian decided to honor the request, inserting another finger into Metti’s quivering sex and pressing upward. As soon as he found a rougher patch inside of her, Metti arched her back upward so high that Hadrian again found himself questioning how flexible harpies could really be. With a quick move to suck at her clit and drag it roughly across his tongue, that angle doubled.

“Yes, oh god, oh god yes!”

Hadrian could hear the words even through Allara’s mouth as Metti screamed them. Allara had reached down to tweak at her nipples, and the multitude of stimulations had proved too much. Metti’s inner walls contracted so tightly around his fingers that Hadrian couldn’t help but imagine those walls pulling at his cock with that much force.

When the girl’s orgasm finally died down, she was a mess on the bed, tongue hanging out and eyes half-closed in bliss.

“Oh my,” Arriat said, her wing covering her mouth to hide her giggling, “it looks like she was more excited about this than we thought. It’s going to take her a minute to recover. That means you’re mine!”

Allara leaped onto Hadrian with enough force to knock him over, rolling them across the sheets until they were laying side by side. Hadrian was going to move on top of her, but Allara didn’t seem interested in switching positions. She was simply grinding, rubbing herself furiously against his erection with such vigor Hadrian was worried she might rub it off.

“Metti has always been too nervous for me to put anything up there… but it’s not fair that she gave you something special like that when I’ve already been experimenting. Maybe… maybe I could give you a first too?”

Allara’s voice was husky and filled with need; she had been waiting for Hadrian to finish with her sister, but obviously not very patiently. Hadrian wasn’t quite sure what she was implying, though.

“From what I know, I’m the only man in Rafflesia… I assume it’s a first time for everyone.”

“Well… I can make it a real first…”


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 of The Erotic World is a Premium Chapter, the full version can be found on Smashwords right [here!](https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/752932)

Any and all purchases go towards supporting my continuation of this series, and I truly appreciate anyone reading this, whether you choose to purchase a copy of this chapter or not. Approximately 50% of the chapter has been included below as a sample. Next chapter (#7) will return to being a free chapter, available to all readers!

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"Alonna, tell me, what was the world like before the prophecy about the Lord?" Hadrian asked, as they continued through the streets. To his great surprise there were very few people around; most of them seemed to be going about their normal business, and while he received some respectful glances and more than a few lustful stares, they did not approach him or attempt to speak with him.

"It's largely unknown. Most of the world's written history consists of times after the prophecy, and the prophecy was written so long ago that few were alive then, virtually none with an accurate memory. What little we have from earlier times is mostly legend and myth, though it seems fairly similar to what we have now. The prophecy came about after the last Great War, this one between the Kitsune and the Ferals. It started when a group of Ferals - a clan of Naga - intruded on Kitsune sacred grounds. The Kitsune did not respond kindly. A third of the Feral clan was wiped out in a surprise attack, and the rest died off in the ensuing battles that chased them all the way back into the Verdant Pass, save for three survivors. They raised a cry that united several clans and sparked a war that lasted almost two hundred years. 

"It did not end until the High Council of that time learned of the prophecy. The High Council supposedly came about as a way to resolve wars peacefully, so they met despite the conflict - it is said that, after yet another failed attempt to negotiate a ceasefire, the High Council were all overcome by a vision. Even the morphs saw it, and they cannot use magic like most other races. That vision relayed a prophecy of someone who would come to lead, but did not tell us when, or where. Over the coming decades many similar visions were visited upon powerful magic users across the land - the voices of those who did not believe in the visions were quickly overwhelmed by those that did. Believing the races were destined to be united, and with all the Ferals who traveled into Kitsune sacred lands long dead from the Kitsune's attacks, a peace was declared. There have been skirmishes and tensions, but no Great Wars since then."

"I was under the impression that the races were allowed to intermingle," Hadrian said quietly. The thought of the very races that showed so much love for each other and disregard for their differences slaughtering each other? That was beyond him.

"Since the Great War, yes," Alonna said, nodding. "At least, for the most part. Perhaps it would be easier to explain through something you know... are you familiar with why Rafflesia City has such a mix of races?"

"Somewhat... I've pieced it together from what others have said, and Eyarra explained it a little to me. Something to do with the city being a known mixing ground for races?"

"Well, the Kitsune are the only race who do not open their borders freely," Alonna said, looking around as though she expected a threat at any moment. "They have always been somewhat secretive; in the days before the prophecy, they would attack anyone who crossed into their territory without hesitation. Now, they only guard approximately half of their land, allowing free travel into the rest. But a significant number of Kitsune live within that half, especially since their capital resides in the core of it. Should a Kitsune begin a relationship with another species, they cannot continue to both dwell with them and reside in the guarded zone. By Kitsune law they must either move their own home to a public area of the Kitsune lands, move in with their lover in another region, or - as is most common for a number of reasons - they move to Rafflesia City in order to compromise."

"That seems like a great deal of trouble. Do they not grow tired of being so secretive? Are the people not unhappy when they have to leave their homes? What could be so important?"

"If you wish to know the answer to that last one," Alonna said with a sigh, "you would do well to ask the Kitsunes of the Council. No one but a Kitsune can answer that question, and it is forbidden for them to share their knowledge with an outsider. I cannot imagine that they would include you in that, but all the same I guarantee you no success. As far as unhappiness, it is not so great a sentence as you believe to dwell here. Rafflesia City is wondrous, and its joys come from all around the world. 

"You will find no other city or region that can offer wonders from every corner of the world, be it food, theater, craftsmanship, or any other skill its many residents have mastered. Besides, I do not know entirely what you have been informed of about our world's relationships, but Elves, Kitsunes, Morphs, and most species of Ferals can live for hundreds of thousands of years if they do not meet an unnatural end; many can live eternally. Most relationships, even marriages, do not last for an eternity here. In time, almost all Kitsune eventually part from their lovers and are free to move back to their homeland's sacred grounds, if they so desire."

"Still, it seems very sad," Hadrian said, shaking his head. "I wish I knew what was so important. Do you think they would be willing to share that information with the Lord?"

Alonna paused for a long moment, walking in silence as she obviously contemplated that answer. It seemed almost to trouble her, though her face showed no outward signs of being bothered by his question.

"I cannot answer that with certainty. It seems that they would, but you are beholden to no one race - only the High Council could ever pass judgement on you, and it would be difficult even then to get a unanimous ruling. If you spread that information or snuck someone else into the Kitsune lands with you, they could not retaliate without starting a war, no matter what you had agreed to beforehand. I apologize, Lord, but these are questions I cannot answer."

"That's fair enough. I do not mean to trouble you. Perhaps we should simply continue homeward."

"No trouble at all, my Lord," Alonna replied with a soft smile, continuing her gentle stride just ahead of Hadrian. They were causing quite a stir as they passed, but Alonna seemed to have chosen to continue back through the residential area rather than returning to the markets, so the crowd was minimal and it parted effortlessly before the confident elf in front of him. They would eventually have to pass through the square, since it was directly in front of the Lord's castle, but Hadrian was content to enjoy the quiet for now.

“Tell me, how long have you been the Lord’s bodyguard?”

“It has been quite a while…” Alonna murmured. “I was accepted to the position after winning a tournament of various forms of combat. Fifty-two millennia ago, I believe, or perhaps fifty-three…"

“My, everyone has been waiting so long for my arrival…” Hadrian said, shaking his head at yet another reminder of the age of those around him. "I know you said that the prophecy has been around as long as anyone can remember - even as long as most of your history - but I continue to be amazed when you state ages in millennia as if it was such a short amount of time."

“Well, I’m quite certain you’ll show us just how worthwhile it was to wait," Alonna said, smirking. “There are a lot of things you’re expected to be, but believe it or not, perfect is not one of them - and no one predicted that you would be a master at all your tasks the moment you arrived. Take things easy, Lord; if your memory is near the truth you are not even three decades old. What might seem like a long span of time is a mere blink to those of us who have lived for millennia, so you have plenty of time to grow.”

“Does everyone in this world live forever?” Hadrian asked.

“No one lives forever,” Alonna chuckled, putting her hand up to her mouth. “But yes, most live for as long as this world allows them to. Rifts and such pose an occasional threat, but in the greater span of things, it’s often more dangerous to have an accident.”

“Living so long must make it harder to lose someone…” Hadrian murmured. He had only known the people around him for a few days, but already they were growing closer to him. If he had known someone for a hundred thousand years, and then they weren’t there anymore, what would he do?

“It can… but the longer you live, the more you understand that nothing lasts forever. Not even eternity.”

“Ominous,” Hadrian chuckled. Alonna returned the laugh, and Hadrian was glad that her mood hadn’t become too somber from their sudden turn in conversation.

“Lord, you said that you were interested in learning as much as you can about our world. I can’t explain much about the Kitsune to you, but there is a rare opportunity to learn about Elven culture nearby, if you are interested.”

“An opportunity? Exactly what kind of opportunity is so rare?” Hadrian asked, looking around. He could note nothing of any significant nature in their surroundings, but he did happen to catch Alonna’s nose twitching a time or two.

“An Elven Fälthir,” Alonna replied, and before Hadrian could ask what that was, she was already pulling him down the street. By the time he’d caught his breath enough to ask her to stop, she was already turning in front of a house, bringing Hadrian to a halt a dozen feet from the open entrance.

“I- hang on, what?” Hadrian finally gasped out, looking around. Alonna had dragged him nearly two blocks in a span of seconds, a level of enthusiasm that he had never seen before from the usually stoic woman.

“An Elven Fälthir,” she repeated, nodding her head and pointing toward a building a few yards away from where she had come to a halt. “It’s a celebration, a gathering that occurs to celebrate an elf’s birthday, once per century.”

“You only celebrate birthdays every hundred years?”

“When you live for millennia, anything else becomes routine,” Alonna remarked with a wry smile.

“Well, what exactly happens during this Fälthir? Can we watch?” Hadrian eyed the house, but although Alonna apparently smelled something from within, he could see little to draw such attention, especially from two blocks away. The only thing that he noticed was that, unlike most of the other homes in the area, the front door had been left open.

“Only watch? We can join in if you’d like,” Alonna said, smiling warmly, “Fälthir are extravagant parties, open to all, if you are a friend to the elves. There will be singing, dancing, and a feast at high noon. What you choose to do is up to you, of course - I merely wanted to let you know of the unique opportunity at hand.”

“How did you know?” Hadrian asked, eyeing Alonna suspiciously. “You identified it from blocks away, what makes you so sure?”

“See that symbol?”

Alonna pointed to a crest hanging from the doorframe, dangling in the upper-right corner of the open doorway. It resembled a bird Hadrian couldn’t identify, with a sequence of blooming flowers behind it and a single arrow bent into a square shape, framing the rest of the crest. In the center a ruby glistened, oddly out of place in the otherwise flat design and placed where the tip of the bird’s wing ended.

“That crest is a family crest, but the gem marks the occasion. Sapphires are used to mark a loss in the family, emeralds herald an approaching birth, and rubies celebrate a Fälthir. There are many more gems, of course, but they’re all essentially invitations to friends and neighbors to either celebrate with the family or provide support. Elves have a more powerful sense of community than most other races in Rafflesia, and our doors are usually open to friends - a Fälthir is just an excuse to further extend that invitation. If you wish to enter, though they may be strangers to you, I promise you a welcome - you need not even knock. If nothing else your title alone will have them begging you to come in.”

“Well… I suppose we could delay our return by an hour or two. If this is such a rare occasion I cannot afford to miss it,” Hadrian said, a bit torn. He had used up much of his social energies through the last few days, but Alonna seemed so genuinely excited to show him a rare part of her culture that he didn’t want to turn her down, no matter how weary he was. More importantly, he couldn’t live with his own willpower if one day of meeting the public was all he could handle. It was obvious that this position would have him meeting and interacting with thousands of people, maybe millions, considering his lack of a scale for this world.

“Very well, Lord. Please, lead the way.”

Despite her reserved words Hadrian could still hear that slight excitement to her tone. The humanization of his stoic bodyguard was so interesting Hadrian was filled with the desire to see more of it. Encouraged by her attitude, Hadrian strode into and through the doorway, only stopping once he was already inside the house. The sight that greeted him on the other side was something he was still having a hard time getting used to.

Music that he had not heard from outside was wafting through the air, through no visible source. A dozen or better elves were scattered around the room dancing, some in pairs, some in a group, with a cluster of children running here and there around the place, barely avoiding knocking over some of the dancing couples. A few tables were scattered around the outside, with a few other elves playing various games involving cards and dice, bringing the total to almost thirty elves, plus the few children.

None of the elves were having sex, which greatly surprised Hadrian. Alonna told him the citizens did not fuck with abandon in the streets, but he had assumed that in a group this large in the privacy of a home, at least a few would be teasing each other. It seemed that they were holding themselves back, though he could not tell why. All of them were busying themselves with dancing, drinking, or games - that is, until they saw him, of course.

The dozen elven women that were dancing all stopped as soon as they noticed him, and he watched the realization spread across the room like a wave. Apparently, despite Alonna mentioning that all were welcomed at this celebration, the Lord’s appearance was still enough to cause disruption.

“Well, I did say everyone was invited… still, it’s not every day the Lord shows up. You can’t expect a lack of fanfare,” Alonna said, resting her hand on his shoulder idly.

“The Lord has deigned our celebration worthy of his presence,” one of the elves announced. She was a tall elf with a long claw-shaped mark beneath each eye and an ebony pixie cut that danced as she twisted her head to speak to everyone present. 

“Today, we are truly blessed! In Maiur’s name, let us make this a day to remember for the century that it celebrates!”

The group gathered around them all moved in closer, each of them striding toward Hadrian at a varied pace. The children seemed content to stare from across the room, while the adults in staggered measure approached and greeted him. More seemed to flood in from the back of the house, and Hadrian was quickly beset by names and faces that he did not easily remember. The only one he caught immediately was the black-haired beauty, Paeria, who was apparently the mother of the one celebrating her Fälthir.

“For the Lord to visit us on my daughter’s twelve-hundredth year on Rafflesia… this is simply radiant, we are eternally blessed,” Paeria praised him, her eyes glimmering with a delight Hadrian could not have taken more pride in causing.

“It is my pleasure to partake in this celebration, more than you know,” Hadrian returned. “But where is the young woman? Who in this crowd are we celebrating? Or does she plan to miss her own Fälthir!”

“She is preparing for the feast at noon, it comes early in a Fälthir and we partake excessively so that we can ply ourselves with drink and dance late into the night with no worries of our stomachs or appetites holding us back. There is much to do yet for her, but for us the day is young! Please, Lord, may I have the unending honor of your first dance?” Paeria curtsied and offered her hand to Hadrian, bowing low and placing her other arm dramatically to her side.

“Well, Alonna, you did offer me the chance to partake in Elven culture,” Hadrian said, grinning wryly as he reached out and accepted Paeria’s hand. The moment his palm was secured in hers she stood straight and smiled broadly, leading him across the room with a purpose.

“I must warn you, though, I have no skill in dance,” Hadrian warned. Paeria only turned her head back long enough to smirk at him.

“Fear not, my Lord, Elves are masterful at both dance and instructing… by the end of this day you will dance as if you had studied for weeks,” Paeria promised, drawing him further into the crowd. The other elves had backed away at first when she made her approach but seemed determined to keep in proximity to him, constantly brushing against his body in ways that could’ve almost been accidental, were it not for the giggles that accompanied every touch.

But Hadrian had no time to dwell on any of the others, for Paeria did her best to draw his attention entirely to herself. What she had referred to as dancing turned out to be more of a seductive presentation, because the moment she had him drawn even slightly away from the crowd she went into a furious set of steps that carried her around him in the most provocative way Hadrian could have pictured.

Every moment that she circled him Hadrian was forced to decide whether to be aroused or intimidated by her sheer skill. Her body was moving in ways Hadrian couldn’t imagine having the elegance or coordination to perform, and she was adding to it in ways he was quite certain were not part of the dance - like when her hand glided across his stomach, stopping only inches away from his groin, fingernails gently teasing against his skin. Or when her soft ass would glide against him, inches away and so warm Hadrian could feel it against his bare skin. Even not touching him, her belly and breasts were gyrating in the most intoxicating of ways, and Hadrian couldn't take his eyes off her long enough to even glance at the crowd.

“Now, Lord, those are some of the movements that we use in our dance… allow me to show you some of the partner sets to them,” Paeria said, bowing lightly as she began a slower, more gentle set of movements. Hadrian did his best to not show that he had completely forgotten her dancing was supposed to be instructional. She reached out and guided Hadrian’s hands and instructed him in the proper steps; it was a slow, awkward process, but Hadrian felt as if the steps were almost intended to be graceful, regardless of their execution. He was certain he looked quite the fool in front of the elves, but what he did could in fact be referred to as dancing after only a few minutes of instruction.

“Very good, Lord,” Paeria said, smiling. “Most who are not raised with our customs take a great deal of time to learn these… at this rate, you might have it in just a few months.”

“Thank you… I suppose. I fear I will look quite foolish if we continue, though,” Hadrian said, smiling despite himself. He had a beautiful woman dancing with him, while others looked on in envy, regardless of how poorly he performed. He was having a difficult time feeling embarrassed, no matter how much he knew he should be.

“Not to worry, there are many other forms of entertainment throughout the night. The feast is still being prepared, but perhaps a game will entertain you until we are ready to dine?”

“I would love to play with you,” Hadrian said, pulling himself slightly closer to Paeria. She not only didn’t move away, but rather smirked and drew herself closer still. They had already been standing opposite each other after their little dance, but now Hadrian felt her breasts press firmly against his chest as they gazed at each other, their eyes glistening with desire. But despite his innuendo and how much she seemed to be into him, Paeria continued to avoid making any direct advances. Although Hadrian was a bit discouraged, he continued to return the effort, not doing anything to directly stimulate either of them. If Paera was determined to play this game, so was he.

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"If you would all please join me in the dining room… the feast is about to begin."

Hadrian and the rest of the table all stood at once, as the elves gathered around started to file off toward the dining room. The children, he noted, were ushered off to a separate room - perhaps a children's room for the banquet? Hadrian was a little concerned that thirty elves - not to mention however many had been preparing in the kitchen - would not fit comfortably in the dining room, but his fears were quickly assuaged as he reached the doorway himself. The dining room was probably originally a meeting room or a reception area of some kind - it was almost empty and about thirty feet on every side. He didn't have long to take in the architecture, though, because it was the people and furniture of the room that caught his attention rather than the architecture.

Across the span of the room were five elves seated on what resembled thrones, gilded and glittered with diamonds and rubies, with red plush cushions just barely visible under the forms seated upon them. Each seated elf rested their arms on the edges of their chair, looking as relaxed as if they had already been there for a decent span of time. Their bodies were glistening, as if coated with something, but it couldn't have been sweat for the room's smell was almost sickly in its sweetness. Furthermore, someone had covered every erogenous zone on their bodies in a variety of ingredients. One elf had what looked like whipped cream covering her nipples, with cherries gingerly resting on top. Her lower abdomen and most of her groin were covered in a blue gelatin, a symbol that Hadrian assumed was her own house's symbol etched in cream and small candies over the blue.

Another had grape spirals blossoming out from her areolas, with matching jam and cream below, as well as intricate patterns of melted chocolate lining her stomach. Hadrian's eyes then came to the center chair, the largest by far, with the symbol of the house emblazoned on the back behind the young elf seated upon it. Her strawberry-blonde hair was matched by the light-pink cream that dotted around her mouth, descending into four lines down her jaw and lining her body all the way down to her nipples. The jelly slowly darkened into a crimson salve that curved in and out around her breasts, looping and twisting on itself, then splitting into eight lines of purple jelly that formed the family crest on her abdomen. Her nethers were covered in cream, and her legs decorated with what appeared to be candies in an intricate pattern he couldn't immediately discern, but flowed with the inscriptions and carvings in the chair she was seated upon, all the way to her ankles.

"Well, my Lord, what do you think of our Fälthir, and of my daughter Iltharia? Is it anything like what you expected?"

"Well… I have to admit, I thought it would take less time to turn so erotic," Hadrian replied, smirking over his shoulder at Paeria. "But I see now why all your guests have been holding themselves back the entire time I've been here."

"We elves are a patient people, you know," Paeria said, smiling as she leaned over and put her arms around Hadrian, gently rubbing at his chest. "Though, even we have our limits. Everyone here has been waiting all day… you should join in quickly, before all the spots are taken."

"Yes, I see everyone is quite eager to begin the 'feast'."

Each of the elves had gathered, in front of their chairs, a short line of those attending the Fälthir, even including some who had been playing Court the Court with him only moments before. The first person in each line knelt in front of the seated elf, but aside from some whispered conversations and shared glances around the room, little was happening between them as of yet.

"What are they waiting on?" Hadrian asked, glancing toward the center. There was no line in front of the middle chair, only Iltharia, smiling softly at him and blushing in almost the same color as the pink cream around her face.

"You, Lord. When Iltharia learned of your presence here she insisted you be offered the first chance. It is her right to choose any volunteer she wants as her first - it is her Fälthir, after all. So, if you wish to partake, you may enjoy the centerpiece. My wife Ythil is waiting for me," Paeria said, pardoning herself with a bow as she found a place in line behind one of the seated women, the elf with blue hair and purple-colored jelly across her body.

"A moment, please," Hadrian murmured, sliding off to the side. Alonna seemed to take his hint, thankfully, and pulled herself away with him, leaning in close so that - hopefully - even the other elves would not be able to hear him converse over the sounds of whispers and excitement filling the room. Considering how many eyes were on him, though, it was probably a fool's errand to avoid scrutiny here.

"Questions, my Lord?" Alonna asked with that same glint of excitement still present in her eyes that she had possessed since they entered the house.

"Is it… okay?" Hadrian asked, eyeing the partygoers. "They're all kneeling in service. Seems a bit-"

"Oh, my. Have they taught you so little? We will have *much* to discuss when I stay in your chambers," Alonna said, tutting as she shook her head. "If there is one thing you need not worry about in Rafflesia, it is what society may think of how you share your love. Submissive and subservient or dominant and demanding, it matters little - no matter your station or status. What you do in the context of making love, so long as your partner is willing, will not hold any bearing on you as a person or as a leader."

"In that case…" Hadrian trailed off, turning back to the others and raising his voice again, "it would be my great honor to accept this offer."

"Then let the Fälthir feasting begin!" Iltharia shouted, seeming somewhat regal despite the barely veiled excitement in her voice and on her face. As one, the kneeling elves turned and began to indulge themselves in the seated, flavored women. One teased along the bare patches of skin between the flavorings, only licking and nibbling at the jellies and creams that dotted their flesh. Others dove straight into the thick of it, licking delicate but firm strokes along the patterns, tasting skin and sugar in equal measure. As Hadrian strode up to the throne he could see Iltharia's eyes lighting up with joy, and he did his best to smile back at her with confidence.

"I only hope that you are as delicious as you are beautiful," Hadrian said. It was true - though he'd grown rather used to everyone around him being stunning in their own right, Iltharia's food preparation was not the only part of her appearance that drew the eye. Her hair mixed wonderfully between the soft golden glow of her pale skin and the pinkish hues of the cream across her cheeks, and the glisten of her ruby-red eyes only further highlighted the colors of her face, especially the blush of her cheeks.

"You do me a great honor with your presence and your words, Lord. I hope that you enjoy what I and my family have prepared for you. I have not often practiced the arts of food preparation and presentation, but I hope it is to your liking."

"I think it shall be more than enjoyable," Hadrian said, trying to keep calm and confident as he leaned in, ending his sentence with a soft lick along Iltharia's cheek. Her flawless skin was soft and giving, almost difficult to tell apart from the cream he was licking, except for the flavor. The pink cream tasted of strawberries and vanilla, and melted in his mouth. She - surprisingly - tasted of cherries and something he couldn't quite place. It seemed the shine to her skin was not all natural; clearly there was more to the preparation of a Fälthir than met the eye.

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	7. Chapter 7

Hadrian stretched himself across the luxuriously plush mattress of his new home and fought back the groan rising in his throat from the pleasure of a night well-slept. After enough time had passed for his mind to slowly begin functioning, he realized that his stretching had not touched any other bodies in his bed. Now that he had become more comfortable with the constant companionship this place offered, he'd grown used to there always being at least one or two warm bodies within arm's reach. 

In fact, now that he was awake, he distinctly remembered both Eyarra and Valeera having joined him in bed the previous night. Valeera was a very still sleeper and Eyarra liked to curl up to him in her sleep, so despite the size of the mattress he knew that if they weren't close enough to touch, they weren't in the bed at all. 

Half the time Eyarra was laying on or across him, not that he minded such close company in the mornings. Hadrian still possessed no memories from an existence prior to this place, but he had discovered he was something of a morning person. It probably helped having such a luxurious bed… waking in this thing was as if Hadrian had literally pulled himself right out of his dreams and back into reality, so smooth was the transition. The harpies had offered him a lovely place to stay during his first journey out, but nothing could replace this comfort.

"I have to admit," Hadrian said to himself, shaking his head as he propped himself up on the luscious pillows, "aside from people, I missed this bed the most while I was out. A few nights back in its warm embrace have reminded me what I was giving up."

"It is one of our most expensive pieces of furniture. Its frame was hand-crafted by elven artisans. They sang songs of love and joy to the trees it was carved from, watered it with a mixture of enchanted water and body fluids, and eventually the wood was carved while being whispered tales of rebirth and new life. The mattress, sheets, and pillows were harvested and formed from a variety of beasts and plants treated in a similar fashion, and magic was woven into every thread and every crevice. It should last over a thousand years before requiring restoration now that you're using it… and it pleases me greatly to hear how happy it makes you, Lord."

"Good morning, Eyarra," Hadrian called out, only slightly turning his head. Eyarra's arrival was abrupt, with no knock on his doorway or other signal of entry, but Hadrian had given up on being surprised by the Kitsune's entrance. He had grown accustomed to her sudden entries; even the times she had stumbled upon he and Valeera interlocked in an early-morning release, she had never batted an eyelash or made him feel uncomfortable in the slightest, and she never arrived long after he awoke if she was not already occupying his bed. Hadrian had come to the almost certain conclusion that Eyarra had some spell or other way of knowing when he awoke in his room, but he hadn't yet decided whether he found that more useful… or more intrusive.

"Good morning my Lord," Eyarra replied politely, her smile as wide as ever. She was wheeling in a large tray of what appeared to be various breakfast dishes, ranging from at least four different egg samples to a platter of multiple cracker assemblies with ingredients including festive fall flavors such as the pumpkin and cinnamon mixture he recognized from the previous day. Hadrian thanked her earnestly before he started to sample them. Eyarra stood by the tray, smiling at him and waiting in a vaguely statuesque way for him to finish. 

Hadrian had tried to get her to join him during his meals, but every time he did she insisted that as a servant of the Lord she had no right to be sharing his food or his quarters with him for meal times. The thought that sharing a meal was more intrusive than sharing his bed still bothered him for reasons he couldn't quite pin down, but he said nothing of that. He had no proper memories to compare such etiquette to, and the pleasures he derived from such casual lewdness was well worth the strange tickle at the back of his mind.

Still, having Eyarra watch over him was something he hadn't quite gotten used to yet. As soon as his hunger was sated enough for his discomfort to outweigh it, Hadrian made a polite gesture of satisfaction to signal he was finished while he chewed the last of his snacking. Though Eyarra watching him was bad for his appetite, it certainly did wonders for his diet. Eyarra repeated the gesture she'd made when the food entered and the cart started to wheel itself out, the door arcing open just in time for it to make its way out and toward the kitchens.

"Good to see you as always, Eyarra. Has anything changed while I was asleep?"

"No my Lord, nothing significant. Valeera requested that I inform you she is still very much occupied with her duties as of late, and won't be present for the morning or possibly afternoon. She said that the agricultural dispute between the Lista Valley clans was going to occupy most of her morning and afternoon, but that she should be able to join you for dinner this evening."

"I see. Well, I hope all is resolved amicably. It must be quite serious, she's never missed a luncheon before."

"I would assume so. She did not provide me with many details, and it would be improper for someone of my standing to request elaboration. You will have to inquire yourself if you want to know more of the intricacies of this particular dispute."

Hadrian nodded, but he had no intention of asking for such information. He didn't understand enough about elven agriculture or the territories involved to gain anything by inquiring on it, all he knew was that Eyarra seemed to have a lot of taboos on what she was and was not allowed to ask of the High Council. Despite her claiming that her position was a prestigious one, Hadrian was often quite dismayed by the amount of subservience he saw in the extremely skilled woman. She seemed far too obedient to far too many people for how brilliantly she handled herself, and lately seemed almost demure in comparison to the woman he had first met on his arrival.

"Well, it matters little. I'm sure she can resolve things on her own, and I am overdue to return to my studies anyway. I know that Liirie would never ask for her books back, but I don't want to be sitting on all these tomes for too long."

Hadrian glanced over to the bedside table where the books he'd borrowed nearly two weeks ago were sitting. He wanted to learn as much as he could about the world, and particularly about magic, but between Valeera's education on elven culture, Eyarra's incredibly alluring distractions, his attempts to get a handle on what exactly his position as Lord entailed, and his rare ventures outside of the castle, he was scarcely halfway through the first of the thick tomes.

"That reminds me, Lord!" Eyarra clapped her hands excitedly, turning expectantly toward the door. Nothing happened for a few moments, but after a brief pause, a cart wheeled itself into the room. Unlike the dinner tray, there was little elegant about this device; no gold or silver inlays, no glistening runes, and no signs of reinforcement or design for other tasks. It was a simple cargo cart, with a set of boxes in varying sizes and colors.

"Reminded you of what? That you're moving into my quarters today?" Hadrian jested, chuckling as he stared at the sheer number of packages Eyarra had brought into his room.

Eyarra blushed, her cheeks flushing in a crimson hue that he rarely got to see out of her. Two of her six tails wrapped their way around her neck and jawline, hiding her entire face below her eyes. She replied to him quickly, but her eyes noticeably fell to the floor as she did so.

"My Lord, you think me so presumptuous. I could never." Eyarra took a deep breath and then one of her unoccupied tails whisked a box off of the cart as if it weighed nothing at all, setting it down on the floor and skillfully flicking the top open. While reaching inside and beginning to sort through the box's contents, Eyarra resumed speaking.

"No, my Lord, I simply remembered that the supplies I requisitioned from the Kitsune Academy finally arrived. These things are rather precious to us, and we don't lend them out frequently. I'm surprised they got here so quickly - the Academy is deep within our territory, and I did not request teleportation or an emergency carrier. It would seem that our Headmistress must be as excited for your arrival as I was for her to grant the request and rush it.

"I'll take this exception as a massive compliment. What exactly did you order?"

"Well," Eyarra began, pausing for a moment as she rummaged around near the deepest parts of the box, "mostly a few specialized items based around measuring magical capabilities, to try to fulfill your desire for magical knowledge. As you know, not all races are equal - the Kitsune have greater innate magical prowess than most elves and all but a few species of Ferals, and the Morphs have no ability to manipulate magic at all. Morphs aside though, within races there can be a great deal of variance in abilities. With enough time and effort, anyone can become a truly great mage, but while some students can learn to summon extraplanar creatures and place permanent enchantments on objects in their first decade, others can take half a century before they can light a fire. Despite what you may be thinking… that is only a very slight exaggeration."

"I suppose even half a century is not so long when you have most of eternity," Hadrian said, although he was internally screaming at the idea that it might take him almost fifty years to accomplish something he could do in minutes with manual effort.

"Indeed. The essence of magic is utilizing one's internal energies to influence the energy present in the world around you or that within other beings, so magical potential is very generally based off of two things - the amount of energy one was born with, and the skill with which one can manipulate that energy. Both of these things can be trained and developed over time, but just as someone can be born with advanced artistic talent, musical intuition, or even an inclination toward certain fields of study, some people are born with a deeper reservoir of energy or a more skilled control over it. Improvement is limitless, but it always requires a dedicated mind and a strict discipline."

"So these items must then be capable of measuring that power and skill?" Hadrian guessed, gesturing toward the stacks of boxes on her cart.

"At least as a starting point, yes. Of course, as I said, with our infinite natural lifespans even a buffoon can surpass a genius so long as their dedication remains superior for long enough, but in general those with a passion and talent for any given skill will hone it at least fast enough to stay ahead of anyone not specializing in that field. Magic is not unique in that regard; it is merely another thing that some will pursue, and others will not. There are warriors whose skill and talent with their own physical arts so great that they can defeat a mage even with no magical equipment of their own. Some of the most feared warriors in the past have been those utterly dedicated to the martial arts. Most races have limitless physical potential, as well as magical."

"Well, that takes a bit of the pressure off, I suppose," Hadrian said, smiling softly. Still, he could not totally calm his nerves. Even with Eyarra's explanations, he couldn't help but reflect on what little he knew of magic… in a world of people like Qiara, who were known for eradicating entire armies, how would it reflect upon the Lord if his potential was so low that he couldn't even light a fire without years of training?

"I should think so," Eyarra said, smirking. "You have just arrived here recently, so you may not realize, but the millennia our civilizations have had to grow has had a profound effect on how we perceive ourselves and those around us. I myself had not considered your view point until realizing how truly little time you have spent in our world. For instance, in the early days of civilization for many of the races - and I can admit the Kitsune were no exception - there were those who traded their positions and prowess for short-term gains. Compared to the rulers we have now, their short-sightedness and foolhardy ambitions seem contemptible."

"Is that really so uncommon? I would think anyone would be tempted by quick riches or power," Hadrian said quietly. "Even with a long lifespan, surely changing one's life in a single day must only seem all the greater for its suddenness compared to your normal plans?"

"It can be, but short-term gains are often followed by long-term losses, and most of us live long enough to learn that well. Leaders who forsake their loyalties, their allies, or their own people in this world always feel the consequences of those ill-gotten gains, even if it takes millenia. One of the most infamous leaders to go against this idea was Ubera the Impetuous, a Kitsune from some of the oldest days of recorded history.

"Ubera rose to power as one of the most cunning and deceitful Kitsune of her time, earning her power and status by betraying those around her and outperforming those who did not trust her enough to be deceived. However, although she was capable of longer schemes and tying up her own loose ends, Ubera had a taste for a quick profit, and earned her name for her tendency to offer positions of power and influence to anyone who could give her whatever she craved at any given time. Sometimes it was gold, silver, or other forms of wealth. Other times she bartered for sex slaves and comfort, and sometimes she even accepted magical trinkets and baubles that entertained her in the moment without holding much real use. She sold off parts of her growing empire's autonomy in exchange for larger and rarer treasures, leaving her unable to effectively run her own lands.

"Ubera once controlled the largest portion of modern-day Kitsune lands that we believe has ever been held by a single ruler, but when a massive tribe of Ferals raided from the south, her generals were comparatively inept and could not stop the invasion until it reached the walls of their very capital. Wealth may buy you many things, but skill is not one of them when such corruption and short-sightedness becomes common knowledge. Ubera's personal talents and political genius were overwhelmed by the inadequacy of those beneath her, becoming lost in a sea of poor orders and a lack of respect throughout her chain of command.

"While they were eventually able to drive back the Ferals through sheer numbers, their desolation of Ubera's lands left her people desolate and their economy in ruins. Before Ubera's empire could rebuild, more traditional Kitsune rulers surrounding her declared war and picked away at her lands, until there wasn't enough territory or manpower to dissuade even minor invaders. Ubera had the land and numbers to rule the entire continent at one point, if she so desired, but by selling positions of power off for personal wealth and indulgences, she had already destroyed the foundations of her kingdom.

"Many believe that seeing Ubera fall after her rise was what inspired the future alliances and treaties that eventually united the eastern continent as it is today. In the end, Ubera's legacy was little more than a lesson to future rulers that superior numbers and skill could be overcome when their leadership and long-term planning skills were outmatched. To this day there are those that believe Ubera's conquerors incited the Ferals to-"

Eyarra stopped suddenly in mid-sentence and stared directly at Hadrian. Making blatant eye contact for so long was something she did rarely enough, but what made this even more unique was the blush that covered her cheeks. As soon as Hadrian noticed the crimson coloring, Eyarra's tails flourished in front of her face, hiding her ruby-red bashfulness behind an ivory sea of fur and skin.

"I must apologize, Lord. There were a number of decades I once dabbled in history and studied the ways of the old Kitsune, but that's no excuse for me to veer so far into my own interests. I will restrain myself from further boring you."

"No, no, by all means - I'm interested to learn as much as I can about your races. Please continue, Eyarra."

"Well, to sum up what I was saying without gushing over history," Eyarra murmured, brushing the hair away from her face, "you have no need to worry about immediately impacting the world, Lord. If anything, it may benefit you to bide your time and avoid making sudden changes or alterations to our society whether those are magical, legal, or otherwise. While patience and faith are qualities a long lifespan helps build, so too are stubbornness and a desire to avoid change. Some of the greatest improvements our current society has wrought were done so against the desires of large parts of that society, even when future generations came to love them."

"So… I have a great deal of time to prove myself, but I should avoid disturbing the peace until I do manage to prove myself?"

"That would… not be an inaccurate way to look at it, Lord," Eyarra said, sighing a bit as she continued on. "Of course my political knowledge is historical, not entirely practical. There have been enough visions and magical understandings to know that you would arrive one day, but some disagree on what your arrival means, or the exact interpretations of those visions of your arrival that were confirmed.

"There are those who simply see you as an inevitability of magical experimentation, a being pulled from another realm whose unique nature will likely alter our understanding of this world and others beyond it. There are those who believe you are a deity, minor or major, who has been sent to guide us and evolve our progression beyond the physical world and into the metaphysical, again beyond current magical knowledge. There are still others who see you as a prophet, a guiding hand meant to show us the proper path after too many failures and deviations from what our Creator believes is our righteous destination. All are based in different understandings of our world. All agree that you will alter us permanently, but none agree in what nature that alteration will take place, or to what degree."

"What do you believe, Eyarra?"

The white-tipped tails of the Kitsune servant before him quivered in what appeared to be a mixture of fear and ecstasy, while her gaze darted between Hadrian's eyes and the floor between his heels. It was the most conflicted Hadrian had ever seen the woman.

"Lord, please, I cannot possibly voice my own opinion on such matters and remain proper. I am but a humble servant, dedicating my life to your pleasures and satisfaction. Please, if you want to know other points of view, the members of the High Council would be glad to explain their nation's-"

Hadrian stepped forward, pressing a finger against Eyarra's quivering lips. Though he was every bit as uncertain as she was, and perhaps more, he tried his best to put forth a steady tone as he began to speak.

"Do not malign yourself or your status," Hadrian warned, smiling despite his concern. "I would not ask your opinion if I did not think it relevant or worthy. You say that you are a servant as if that makes your opinion less valuable, when I think your honesty and openness may yet make it more worthy. You served me before I even arrived here, dedicated decades of your life to ensuring this castle was fit for my arrival, when you did not even know me.

"Furthermore, you have done little to influence my perspective save when I asked it, yet you have done everything possible to fulfill my smallest of desires. You went so far as to replace the panels of my windows after I absently noted that the glass tinted the sun a shade darker than it was when I stepped outside."

"The Rafflesian sunset is truly splendorous," Eyarra said quietly, avoiding eye contact. "It would be a crime to deprive you of its true majesty."

"I truly believe that if I request honesty from you, I will receive it, no matter how much it pains you. So, Eyarra, I ask you and request that you answer in full and absolute honesty… do you believe I live up to the prophecy? Do you think I am worthy of the responsibilities and power bestowed to me thus far? Furthermore, do you think I live up to what the rest of the populace expects of me?"

"Lord… you ask much, but… I will do my best to grant it, as is my duty," Eyarra said, her chest heaving as she fought between hyperventilation and the breath that somehow stuck in her chest. Her internal emotions were clearly in great conflict, but before Hadrian could try to gauge what her gut reaction was, Eyarra's eyes had opened wide and her focus was razor-sharp once again. Her body seemed to focus as quickly as her mind, and the Kitsune steeled herself before speaking with a hurried tone.

"I grew up hearing stories of what the Lord would accomplish, the things that he would change, for better or for worse, and being told that nothing could prevent that change no matter what one believed. I believed - still believe - that the greatest thing I could do as a Kitsune, and even more so as a servant of the Lord, was to prepare for your arrival and ensure that you would be safe and welcome when you came. Through my childhood I was assailed by different visions of what the Lord was and what he meant to the world. I was told of the things you would be, the things you might be, and the things you never could be. I was told stories of a person who would be like nothing we had ever seen before, do things we had never dreamed of, and show us opinions and points of view we had never considered before."

Eyarra's smile grew bittersweet as she glanced down, avoiding Hadrian's eyes with what seemed like embarrassment.

"You are like nothing we have ever seen before, I cannot even begin to deny that. And your views are aloft, unbiased by the centuries and millennia of racial relations and history that most of us have experienced or studied. I cannot say with any certainty who or what you may be, Lord, yet I believe you have what it takes to alter this world forever. While the intricacies of each race's structure and particular preferences may evade you for a time, I think that in the coming decades you will show us opinions that are both without influence and yet well-informed for your brief time in our world."

"I'm sensing a 'but' coming along, and not the sexy kind," Hadrian said, only half-jokingly. Despite Eyarra's devotion until that point, she seemed to be honoring his request for openness, and Hadrian was just beginning to sense a hesitance in her that he had never seen until that point.

"Well…" Eyarra began, her lip trembling so ferociously that Hadrian thought she might be about to cry. All at once she threw her body to the ground, hands clutched in front of her chest while she trembled on the floor and turned her face away from Hadrian, as if she expected a great blow to strike her at any moment.

"There were those that said the Lord's arrival would be a storm of fire and destruction, still others who claimed his mere presence would change our history forever. They said that he would send ripples through time that changed everything we had ever known and everything that would ever be, just by the fact of his existence. I can't imagine someone so influential, or anyone who could re-write history so tremendously regardless of their own power, but there are those who might look down on you, who might claim you're not the Lord, or that the prophecies were false altogether. I cannot believe such a person could be real whose existence invalidates history and re-writes it at a whim the moment they appear, but I believe in you more than anything I have witnessed in all my centuries of service, Lord! I will forever swear myself to your cause, Lord, and though there might be those who decry you and stand against you, I swear I believe you will change this world for the better!"

Eyarra quivered before him, a mass of terror and fear like nothing Hadrian could remember ever having seen. While she prided herself as a servant, Eyarra was also the first person that Hadrian could remember meeting, and the only one who had known Hadrian as anything but the Lord, even if only for an instant as she discovered him. The sight of her groveling on the floor, as if she were afraid any moment the blows could rain down, filled Hadrian with a mixture of sorrow and empathy that overwhelmed anything else he could remember feeling.

Only the purest intentions in mind, Hadrian reached forward, grabbing Eyarra's shoulders and pulling her forward. Although she didn't resist him, for a moment she tensed against some expected pain. That all changed when Hadrian wrapped his arms around her, pulling her petite form against his chest, tucking his chin over her shoulder and pressing their bodies together intimately. Her fear and tension released, and Hadrian felt whispered gasps leaving her mouth.

"Do not ever be afraid of me, Eyarra," Hadrian whispered, shaking his head while stroking her hair. "Please, that is the one thing I will always ask. You have shown nothing but loyalty and love since the day I met you. You spent decades of your life dedicated to looking after an empty bed, and have spent the last few weeks caring for a Lord that - at best - lived up to a fraction of the ideals that were set for him. To see that devotion and trust turned into terror saddens me beyond words. Eyarra, please ease your worries, and never again be so afraid of me. I will never hurt you."

Eyarra's eyes flickered toward his face while flushing, though what he had thought was embarrassment now seemed obvious as the more severe shame it truly was. She could only hold his eyes for a few moments before glancing back at the floor.

"I'm sorry my Lord, but most masters would not tolerate a servant voicing such blasphemy against them without severe repercussions. All the same, I could not bear to disobey you and be anything less than fully honest as you request. If I have offended you, I will dismiss myself and send one of my sisters in to tend to your needs until my presence no longer displeases you, or until a replacement can be found."

Hadrian fought back a sigh as he reached out and brushed his finger across Eyarra's barely-exposed cheeks, the touch bringing her face up to gaze back at him again. Close as he was now, Hadrian couldn't deny the passions that rose in him as he stared into Eyarra's concerned eyes. Every emotion he felt toward her felt insignificant compared to that bottomless dhe could read in her every movement. Eyarra seemed too proud to cry, but her eyes were wet with barely restrained emotions.

"Tell me, Eyarra, what brought you to this position as the Lord's primary servant?"

"I… well, um… there was- there was an application process, followed by a series of interviews, a written examination, and a testing of practical skills all conducted by the other staff of the Lord's castle as well as a member of the High Council from each race, to ensure neutrality. I scored high enough to pass each round of elimination and impressed those involved in the process enough to secure the position when the final applicants remained."

"All that sounds reasonable," Hadrian said, nodding. "What I meant, though, was why you applied, and what kind of answers you gave that impressed the staff? Frankly Eyarra, I wasn't joking when I said you've shown me nothing but love and dedication since I've known you, and all to a man you met only a short time ago. Such ferocious loyalty must have some reason behind it, and I don't think it can be simple blind faith."

"When I was young, I had a dream once," Eyarra said quietly, several of her tails curling around her body to comfort her, now wrapping around her midsection instead of mostly her face. Her fingers grasped one of her luxurious tails, toying idly with the tip as she continued to speak.

"In that dream, I met a man. I knew it was you… the Lord that is- I mean, it had to be. You're the only one like you. We didn't even know what a male was until the prophecies began, so even though I couldn't see him clearly, even though that blurred person didn't look exactly like you do now, I knew it was the Lord - that it was you. This dream was like nothing I've ever experienced before. What I saw was like watching years pass in seconds, yet I felt as if I lived every moment of it. I saw him - you - accomplish things no one else could, because nobody else dared. You changed the world, you altered so many lives, sometimes on a global scale and sometimes… on a personal level."

Eyarra paused roughly, clearing her throat as her tails frantically undulated, obscuring even her hands for a moment as she withdrew herself into their cover. When she finally did continue again, she let go of her own tail and reached out to grasp Hadrian's hands so gently that he could only feel the lightest touch of her velvety skin against his palms.

"That dream was so vivid I can relive the entire thing in my mind, even now. I was told that there hadn't been a prophecy about the Lord in millennia, that it was simply the overactive imagination of a young woman, but I have always believed in my heart that the future I saw for our world was the best outcome we could have, and that only you could bring it about. My faith hasn't wavered, not since that day, and not since your arrival. When I'm around you, when you touch me, it's like I'm dreaming again. You feel the same."

"That's… Eyarra, I-"

Three taps came at the door, gentle explosive in the silent tension that had built up in the room. Eyarra flinched a little as a voice echoed through their room, stepping away from Hadrian and beginning to compose herself.

"My Lord, excellent news! The agricultural disputes were resolved amicably, and without delay. May I enter your chamber?"

"I- a moment, Valeera," Hadrian called, looking to Eyarra's eyes. She met his with a surprised look that seemed to flicker as she fought against something, her mouth half-open. Hadrian looked quizzically at the Kitsune already wiping away the traces of her emotional vulnerability. In scarcely more than a moment she stood stoic and unaffected, her tails neatly arranged behind her as she stepped back to an edge of the room. Hadrian would never have guessed that she'd been so close to shaking with fear and shame a few moments ago, or sharing intimate details just after that.

"Of course, my Lord. I could come back later, if you prefer?"

Hadrian locked eyes with Eyarra, ignoring Valeera's reply for the moment. Eyarra didn't flinch away at his gaze this time, something that filled him with relief. Knowing very well that Valeera's hearing was far beyond his own, Hadrian stepped to where Eyarra stood and leaned especially close to the Kitsune, closing the distance between them until his lips were nearly touched upon her ear before finally speaking.

"I hope to continue this conversation later. I intend to learn all I can about you, Eyarra."

Hadrian stepped away in time to see Eyarra's eyes travel to the floor. Her expression was inscrutable, but he thought he saw a bittersweet smile as she did her best to remain neutral. Given her actions when he first arrived, Hadrian hadn't expected such a complex reaction from Eyarra, but he knew that there was still plenty of time to learn more about her in the coming days. Unfortunately, that would have to wait, now that Valeera had intruded upon them.

"That won't be necessary, Valeera, we were just discussing the nature of the objects she requisitioned from the Academy. Enter as you please."

"Oh! Magical tutoring? Well, then," Valeera exclaimed as she threw the double doors open together, entering the chamber. Her exposed form swayed as she walked, her sizeable breasts gently bouncing as she moved closer. The only thing adorning Valeera's pale skin was the necklace she wore, the symbol of the Elven Ophanim; an emerald sitting in the midst of a golden garden, fresh sprouts curling around the brilliant green gem. Hadrian had noticed she often wore it when dealing with official matters, though she otherwise left it stowed elsewhere.

"You seem very excited," Hadrian pointed out, eyeing the Ophanim as she strode over and examined the numerous boxes. She didn't directly touch them, but leaned around, inspecting every side of the storage containers and leaning into see the contents of the few without lids, her eyes alight with amusement.

"Of course. I taught many young elves in my early days, but I've never been given the chance to teach another race, much less a unique one like yourself. Even the Ferals rarely accept our invitations of cross-species tutoring, for reasons that vary from tribe to tribe… but I must surely bore you with such minute details. Eyarra, you've done the work to prepare; what kind of tutoring did you have in mind?"

"Well, nothing yet - just tests," Eyarra said. She seemed a bit uncomfortable, and Hadrian wondered for a moment if the things she had brought were secret among the Kitsune, like their homelands.

"Eyarra, if these are things that aren't supposed to be shared among others-"

"Oh! Thank you for your consideration, Lord, but that is not the case. I should have explained more thoroughly. We actually allow other races to come to our Academy for partial tutoring if they wish, if they meet our standards for admission. I was only uncertain on how much to discuss of the objects because I was not sure how much you wished to disclose; I have not been privy to what conversations you have had regarding magic with the High Council."

"Ah, very… very thoughtful, Eyarra," Hadrian noted. Eyarra had helped instruct him around Valeera before but they had never really discussed that it was anything more than education; he'd never attempted anything practical around Valeera. There was certainly no way to test the existence of his magical abilities without revealing his doubts, though. Sending Valeera away any time he wanted to test himself would only sow distrust and suspicion.

"Not to worry, Eyarra… I will be seeking aid from many of the High Council, for a great many skills I suspect. Besides, you have quelled enough of my doubts. I think we can handle this."

Hadrian smiled and did his best to open his arms and welcome Valeera to the room officially for the first time, trying to brush aside his personal doubts on Valeera and appear as confident as his words were. It seemed to work, for Valeera said nothing until Hadrian began speaking again in a far more excited tone, only smiling absently.

"We were just about to run some tests to determine the best way to go about a more practical magical education, Valeera. We've had some minor difficulties, and Eyarra suggested that we do some testing to see how magical I really am."

"Ah, interesting… so you've brought devices to test that? They should certainly help; if nothing else, we might find out that the Lord's abilities operate on a different level than normal magic."

"That was my thinking as well," Eyarra agreed, nodding sagely. "I dare not draw any assumptions about the Lord's biology or his magical abilities, so I thought we would start at the beginning." Eyarra reached into one of the many boxes she had brought and pulled out an orb that was almost perfectly clear and transparent. Aside from the slightly warped image of the room Hadrian could see through the orb's surface, the only reason he could perceive it at all was the glistening spark in the center of it.

"This is an Orb of Capacity," Eyarra explained as she gingerly moved the orb, holding it carefully and turning herself toward Hadrian. "This orb is enchanted to store a massive amount of magical energy and then funnel it through the user in a non-harmful fashion, summoning more energy from the surroundings until it reaches the user's personal limit, turning their maximum safe magical capacity into a weighted glow or until it can draw no further energies. Essentially, the more energy you are capable of handling without any negative consequences, the brighter it will glow."

"Ah, I remember this," Valeera said, smiling fondly as she looked at the small orb. "I don't believe mine was quite as bright as yours when I held it." 

Eyarra flushed, her tails swishing a bit but staying away from her face as she struggled to keep herself composed. "My abilities are far greater than they were the first time I would have held this orb… it's hardly a fair comparison," Eyarra explained, holding the orb out toward Hadrian. "But for the Lord, it's a fair starting point. It should tell us if he has the capacity to cast spells and operate objects as a Kitsune, Elf, or many races of Ferals would."

"So all I have to do is hold it?" Hadrian asked, uncertain.

Eyarra nodded as Hadrian reached out to grasp the orb. His fingers touched upon the glistening surface hesitantly for a moment, gingerly rubbing along the perfectly smooth, glass-like substance it seemed to be made of. Then he gripped it tightly, and Eyarra took her hands away from the sphere. For a moment, nothing happened at all. The glow present when Eyarra also held it died out entirely, and left the orb a clear void. Hadrian's heart sank, but after a few moments a dull glow did eventually appear, dim but clearly there. It was only a fraction of what he'd seen the Kitsune put out, but it was noticeable.

"Well, that easily confirms what we already assumed," Valeera noted, leaning close. "It's above average for an untrained student, certainly. Overall I'd say it's impressive for any novice elf, and only slightly under average for a Kitsune. It takes years to train up magical potential, but this is a promising starting point."

"Most Kitsune receive training long before they attend the Academy," Eyarra said quickly, averting her eyes from Hadrian and Valeera. "It is rather ingrained in our culture, and our children often cast spells before they speak. Certainly they are not something one should compare themselves to before a few decades of experience."

"You are too humble, Eyarra. Come now, what other tests have you prepared for our Lord?" Valeera asked, her eyes dancing across the boxes.

"Well, most I have brought detect magic in their surroundings, and as such are no longer explicitly useful. They mostly detect enchantments or forms of magic such as the Morphs and their natural shapeshifting abilities. I was uncertain as to the exact nature of the Lord's power, so I wanted to be sure to cover any possible tests which might provide interesting results if the orb did not expose magical potential. Now that we know you are capable of more traditional magic, though…"

Eyarra ducked her head behind one of the piles of crates and emerged with a crystalline orb not too different from the Orb of Capacity. Its appearance was almost identical, save that Hadrian could see some vague colors swirling within it as Eyarra held it and began to speak.

"This is-"

"A Resonance Sphere, yes, of course!" Valeera said, smiling brightly while interrupting the Kitsune. "Perfect. We can know just what kind of power the Lord was meant to wield with this, what his natural aura is most attuned to. It might give us insight as to what his path in this world was meant to be, if fate has any hand in his talents."

"Well… y-yes, exactly," Eyarra said, sighing and avoiding the elf's gaze while her own eyes drooped to the floor. She looked deflated, cut off as she was by Valeera's outburst. Even her tails displayed disappointment as she stepped toward Hadrian, keeping her eyes downward. Hadrian frowned, but Valeera didn't seem to notice either of their displeasures as she eagerly urged himn to grasp the orb. Eyarra continued where Valeera had left off, though her voice had fallen in intensity.

"My Lord, she speaks the truth. This orb will fluctuate between multitudes of different kinds of magic, most general schools being represented by one of the infinite hues of color. Magic operates off the same base energy but in different wavelengths. This orb will resonate thousands of them within you, and which colors take the brightest hue will show us what you are most capable of by natural gift. For most magic users, that determines which classes of spells they are most skilled with, what spells are the easiest to master, and the most powerful to use. Again, a mage with dedication can learn anything, but talent plays a great role in what one excels in."

"Go on then, I can't wait to see!" Valeera exclaimed, clasping her hands together. "Perhaps you'll be gifted with affinities toward the natural variety, like so many elves… or the biological magics, able to shape and alter life to suit new purposes… or maybe-"

Valeera cut herself off as Hadrian grasped the orb and held it aloft, falling silent as his eyes firmly locked on the orb. For a long moment nothing seemed to happen. Then there was a flash of light, red and vivid. It lasted only an instant and then was gone, but Hadrian saw different shades of red flash before it faded entirely, almost all of them darker than the initial burst. Some of it was nearly black, but most was an opaque crimson.

"Combat magic, of some kind… but it was so fast I could scarcely comprehend the hues. Why has the color died so quickly? Perhaps the orb is malfunctioning."

Eyarra glared at Valeera after she spoke, but didn't say a word. Before Valeera could come up with another theory as to the sphere's display, the orb flashed again - this time white, then an off-white like a pearl. It quickly darkened and yellowed, passing through dozens of gold hues and then brightening until it transitioned into a verdant green. Stars began to form as quick flashes of light around the orb's edge separate to the center color, most of them bursting in white but some flavored with silver and black - a few even radiated through the color spectrum on their own before fading. 

In addition to the spark of light in the center, the orb itself began to change. Most visible around the edges, the orb began to vacillate through a dozen colors in rapid succession, while the light in the center strobed between different intensities of orange and purple, so fast it was almost incomprehensible. The Resonance Sphere brightened to shine like a sun in one moment and turned a nearly-solid black the next. Even the temperature of the orb varied in Hadrian's hand from a chilling cold to a heat almost too painful to hold. The show went on for nearly a full minute before Eyarra stepped forward and placed her hands daintily upon the sphere, her breath coming in shallow bursts. The moment she touched it, the sphere stopped its displays, leaving only a single blue spark in the center of it that fizzled and wavered between many colors.

"I didn't… I don't think I caught all that, but it seems as if you are very special indeed, Lord," Valeera breathed, stepping forward and reaching out as if to touch the orb herself. Moments before her fingers made contact she froze, then recoiled as if suddenly afraid of the magical sphere. "I could not tell myself, but… Evocation, Arcanomancy, Biomancy, Necromancy, Chronomancy, magic of the Divine and the Demonic, magic for war and for peace, and so much more. Those are just what I saw clearly enough to be certain of."

"What does all this mean?" Hadrian asked, his eyes still locked to the orb.

"It means you have no specialty, because you have all of them."

Valeera's words were hopeful, but weren't particularly helpful. Eyarra seemed to see Hadrian's continued uncertainty, and she took initiative when Valeera remained silent. The Kitsune pulled the orb from Hadrian's stunned fingers and placed it back in the box reverently before speaking in a voice so filled with well-concealed glee that she almost sounded orgasmic.

"The Resonance Sphere measures one's attunement to certain frequencies of magic, as I said before. Molding a spell to kill uses the same inner energy as one to heal, but in a completely different structure. Think of two artists - one who can create lifelike paintings, and one who creates lifelike sculptures. Even though they are similar in essence, they are so starkly different that skill and practice in one does very little for the other. Every person in this world capable of using magic has at least one form of spellcasting they are more proficient in than others due to this resonance, one they find easier to mold and control. Most have three or four that are similar, like healing magic and Biomancy; or Alchemy, Transmutation, and Transfiguration. Your body - your soul - appears to be attuned to so many different magical frequencies it is very difficult to tell all of them apart. Judging by the variety and speed of the fluctuations I just witnessed, you may even be attuned to all of them."

"A-all of them? You mean every form of magic? How is that possible?"

"It isn't. Or… it wasn't, until now," Valeera breathed, blinking a few times. Her eyes snapped to Hadrian, wide with shock. "You are a blessed one, truly."

"How can that be, though? I can't even cast a basic spell," Hadrian huffed, shaking his head. He trusted both of them, but he couldn't believe he had all this ability and yet had no proof he could even use magic to begin with.

"But until now, you did not believe you could," Eyarra pointed out, raising a finger to disagree with Hadrian's pessimism. "Despite your lack of memories, some things in our world seem oddly foreign to you, far more than others. Magic seems to be one of them, from what I have seen of your reactions to its use. You have also been quick to dismiss the possibility of using magic yourself, but if a Morph were to touch this orb, nothing would happen because they cannot harness energy the way the rest of us can. You clearly have magical capabilities, you just haven't accessed them yet. Perhaps now that you have proof…"

Eyarra trailed off as she bent over and reached into another one of the boxes. Hadrian's eyes wandered quickly, focusing on Eyarra as she bent over. Fascinated as he was with their experiments, Eyarra's shapely legs were framing a perfect view of her lower half, her firm ass gently wiggling as she sorted through the box to find what she needed. Perched below her perfect thighs, her uncovered and hairless lower lips wiggled tantalizingly. Eyarra was nothing if not organized, yet she took an unusual amount of time to sort through these packages. Judging by the amount of time she spent digging, and the way her voluptuous thighs rubbed seductively against one another, Hadrian had to assume she was well aware of the show she was putting on.

"Perfect. Move this," Eyarra said quietly, standing back up and presenting her open palm to Hadrian after her long pause. Where he had rather been expecting another magical artifact, all he saw was a feather, soft and silver with streaks of blue near the edges, held as delicately as a newborn in Eyarra's smooth palms. It was untouched, as if freshly plucked from a bird, but aside from its pristine nature it seemed totally non-magical.

"And… how would I do that?"

"Dealer's choice," Valeera said with a casual shrug. "Telekinesis would be the most direct method, but you could use Aeromancy to create a breeze, or use gravity-based magics to lower Eyarra's hand or to lighten the feather to the point that the natural air currents within the room will move it. You could use a variety of mind control, body control, Biomancy, or even Electromancy targeting the nervous system to make Eyarra drop the feather against her will. You could use spatial magic to either teleport the feather or to manipulate the space around it, or even induce the feather to partially or completely enter another realm of this space, causing it to fall through her hand. If you were particularly creative-"

"Lady Valeera," Eyarra interjected, hanging her head low despite the firm tone in her voice, "perhaps we should not worry the Lord with more complex magics that even exceptional mages frequently struggle to comprehend? Dizzying his mind and worrying him about potential paths may cause a similar mental block to what we suspect has already occurred as a result of his skepticism of magic."

Despite her submissive posture, seeing Eyarra actually interrupt someone was shocking to Hadrian, though he tried to hide his wide eyes from Valeera. The corners of Valeera's mouth turned downward just slightly, her lips drawing taut as she responded to the interruption.

"Yes, well… given that this is the Lord that we're dealing with, I see no reason not to cover all aspects. The phenomenal may become mundane, given that we have already discovered one thing that separates the Lord from the rest of us. Still, let us see where this unguided experiment takes us. Your spell, Lord?"

Hadrian felt a certain challenge in that last statement. He nodded more confidently than he felt and turned his eyes away from the conflict of the two women, focusing entirely on the feather. He wasn't sure what he was doing even now; he didn't know whether it was better to close his eyes or leave them open, or even what he was supposed to be focusing on besides the object. He tried to recall the text from that beginner's book Liirie had lent him.

"At its core, magic is a manifestation of energy and the application of that energy upon a plane of existence, whether physical, mental, emotional, astral, inter-planar, or other. To influence the world around a user, they must learn to exert the energy they can harness from themselves and the world around them in a manner beyond the simple mechanisms of a physical body, and exert the will of their spirit itself through concentrated power."

Though it sounded a lot to Hadrian like someone trying to say nothing in as many words as possible, it had to amount to something. Hadrian tried to remember all the encouragement Eyarra had given him, all the ways she had described trying to touch the core of energy within oneself. In his mind, Hadrian reached out toward the feather, as if attempting to swat it aside without actually moving. He willed the feather to leap from her hand, twirl in the air, and put on a show that would meet Valeera's challenge.

Hadrian saw no phenomenal show of magic, and the feather did not dance. But it did twitch, even quiver, and swayed back and forth in her palm. Hadrian thought for the briefest of moments that his chest cavity had become a center of heat and adrenaline, a rush like nothing he'd felt now flowing through him. The feather swayed and wobbled, nearly falling off Eyarra's palm before slowly drifting back toward the center. Unconsciously Hadrian physically reached up, extending his hand toward the feather, and in that moment it acted as if he had struck it, darting several feet away from Eyarra before gently floating to the ground on its own. When it touched on the ground it laid perfectly still, even though his hand was still extended and he was imagining it flying so much farther than it had.

"Well, telekinesis it is then. Not exactly creative, but it would in fact seem that you can use magic, even in the most basic of manners. Reasonable force for a first attempt, too."

"All this training to move a feather? I fear it may be centuries before I can accomplish anything material," Hadrian sighed, feeling strangely tired despite his heart still pounding in his chest.

"Nothing to be worried of. Many accomplish less in a far greater period… more impressively, once you knew that it was possible, you managed to move the feather quite easily. I feel it may be more your own belief in yourself that is holding you back than any lack of potential or skill," Eyarra praised with a smile.

"Now there is something we can agree on," Valeera added, nodding to emphasize the point as she strode up to Hadrian and began to place her arms around his shoulders. Hadrian struggled not to frown a little bit, the touch oddly unwelcome after all that had happened between the three of them in the last few minutes. The animosity between the two women was subtle, but undeniable. When Valeera began to massage his shoulders overtly and leaned in closer to press her bare breasts against him, Hadrian peeled away from her, hopefully less abruptly than he felt it had been.

"Well, if it's a mental block, the best thing is for me to take some time away from magical practice and the duties of the Lord to reconsider my viewpoints on magic and my place in the realm. Eyarra, please gather up the things that you have brought so that we may find a proper place to store them until we continue this magical training."

"Of course, my Lord," Eyarra said without hesitation, repacking all of the boxes and stacking them up properly. They hadn't used many of her objects, and Hadrian was quite eager to see the rest, but he had to deal with this situation between the three of them before anything else.

"Well, if you're seeking to distract yourself," Valeera began, striding up to Hadrian and snaking her arms under his shoulders, "I can think of a few ways that I might be able to assist with that."

Hadrian closed his eyes in irritation, grateful now that she could not see his face. His annoyance was minor, but with Valeera's actions as one of the only things he'd been unsatisfied with since setting foot in this world, it stood out in his mind as a fairly bothersome event. He pressed Valeera's arms down as he stepped away from her, and turned around to see a downright frustrated Valeera staring at him in shock.

"I appreciate the sentiment, but I must store these somewhere safe, and then consider my path from here with regards to my magical training… and other things. I will take the afternoon to ponder on my studies. You may, of course, have free roam of my quarters and the gardens until I return," Hadrian added, turning back to Eyarra and the pile of goods. "Thank you again, Eyarra. Your judgement has been sound, and you have aided me greatly. I will not forget what you have done for me. Lead on, my faithful servant."

Eyarra stiffened but did as commanded, using her magic to set the cart in motion and open the doors. They were nearly two-hundred yards along the hallway in agonizing silence before Eyarra finally spoke, her voice quiet and sounding almost ashamed.

"My Lord… you do me a great honor by praising me in front of another, much less a member of the High Council," Eyarra began in a whisper. "But I think she did not take well to being shunned in favor of such mundane matters, particularly when I have wronged her so. Do not be afraid to dismiss me or belittle me in front of the High Council, I am but a lowly-"

"I don't care about what she took well to," Hadrian said, narrowing his eyes. "More importantly, what was that? You two were nearly at each other's throats - as restrained as you two may have been, I'm not blind. I've never seen you cut someone off in anger like that, and I've never seen someone pressing in on our conversations so intently. What caused that? The full story, please."

Eyarra paused for a moment, her eyes locked on the cart as they walked in silence. Hadrian had rarely seen her so tense, and almost never seen her so hesitant before, save for just earlier when he asked her about her honest opinion of himself. He felt like his questions today were revealing perhaps just a bit more of the true Eyarra.

"Kitsune such as myself value skill, potential, and talent above all else, even heritage and familial status. As I explained with my story of Ubera, we do not take lightly those who hold positions they are not suited to, or who trade their success and talent for the easy pleasures of life with no regard for their flagging abilities. The elves have a different history, though they still despise the lazy, the uninspired, and the weak-willed. I am no expert in their culture, and I daresay I am highly unqualified to even express my judgements, but their history is riddled with inheritances by birthright and respect based solely on titles and holdings, as their land was united and kept stable far earlier than ours were. Because of my… lower position, she takes certain liberties in her treatment of the Kitsune artifacts, my skills, and my race when in my presence. It has little to do with you, Lord. It has been this way every single one of the rare times I interacted with her since I took this position."

"I thought you said that serving the Lord was a prestigious position? You told me that you had to pass rigorous tests, and there was a huge amount of competition."

"There was… but the High Council members are generally the most well-respected and sought after positions in any race. Even the Ferals with their odd hierarchies and strange customs will bend the knee to any member of the High Council unless some vengeance has been sworn against their bloodline or species. Her position as Elven Ophanim might place her as my equal or even below me, but because she is of the High Council, and especially because she shares your bedchambers for now, I suspect-"

Eyarra flushed abruptly, a tide of red sweeping across her face. The cart stuttered, then came to a stop as Eyarra paused her footsteps and faced away from Hadrian.

"I speak too freely. I should not color your opinion so, especially when you've barely-"

"Your worth is not your title. I feel you Kitsune have something right," Hadrian whispered as he stepped forward, gently placing his hand along Eyarra's jawline through the cloister of tails that was once again clustered around her face. The moment he touched her soft skin, Eyarra ceased her shy dismissal of her own value and opinion, falling silent as she focused her eyes into his own. For a moment, Hadrian forgot about everyone else, and saw only what was reflected in Eyarra's reverent vision - himself.

"W-what do you mean Lord?"

"I mean," Hadrian said firmly, "that you should stop doubting yourself. I do not want you to mince words and tremble over your own concerns when I ask you for an opinion. I want your honest thoughts. You are an incredibly skilled, generous, and giving woman. I respect you for that, as much as any of the council. I've met most of the High Council only once; I know nothing about them. I know you, I've been watching you perform your duties for weeks now… and I like what I see."

Eyarra stood still, her eyes cast down and her body beginning to shiver subtly. She seemed quite torn by Hadrian's words and her own instincts. Hadrian parted her tails with both hands and held her by the shoulders, revealing her entire face and holding her gaze with as much intensity as he hoped he felt.

"But you have no need to say anything further. I think I understand a bit now of what I just witnessed. That is enough… for now."

"Lord… please…" Eyarra looked at him with tears starting to form in her eyes. Her tails fought to work past his hands and hide herself away again, though he could tell they were not using their full strength. "If I may ask anything of you, please do not mention this conversation to Valeera or any other member of the High Council. If they believe I have turned you against any of them, or if they think that I am attempting to garner sympathy or pity from the Lord, I will most likely lose my position. Even if you protect that, I will lose their respect and will be largely unable to do my job for them. I only told you this because you have asked that I always give you my full, honest opinion, and I refuse to deny you a request."

Hadrian stared at her, frowning slightly. What consequences there were for his relationship with Valeera he had been too angry to be concerned with, but he couldn't do the same to Eyarra. Her feelings had value too, despite what she and Valeera both seemed to think. She took such joy and pride in her position… if he tarnished her or her status, he'd never forgive himself. Not in all the eternities that this place promised.

"Come, Eyarra. Take me to that chamber for magical experimentation I found when I first explored the other wings of the castle. We can store these there for now."

Eyarra nodded, seemingly grateful to be released from the conversation, but Hadrian had no intention of ending things there. He merely needed to make sure they would not be interrupted, or that Valeera would not exit the room and stumble upon them in the middle of the hall. So he quietly bided his time and waited until they reached the chamber at last.

The moment that the cart led them into the room and the door was shut, Hadrian whirled Eyarra around by her shoulders and pressed her against the wall until they were chest-to-chest, her breasts pressing into his ribcage as he met her eyes with as much understanding and compassion as he could muster under the layers of his now overwhelming desire to prove how much he cherished her. Hadrian had wanted Eyarra's body often since they first arrived; her constant teasing and very flirtatious tones had always ensured that much. What he felt now was more than a baser lust; it was more akin to an oath he intended to swear through his own body.

"M-my Lord," Eyarra stammered, easily the most uncertain about his advances she had seemed since the first time that Hadrian appeared before her, "if you wish me to service you, we should store these objects first to ensure their quality when you-"

"I am quite eager to learn the exact limitations of my power," Hadrian agreed, bringing a single hand up to stroke the underside of Eyarra's chin. His fingers trailed along her jawbone, feeling the sleek and flawless skin lining the ridges of her face. "It's a long-term concern, one I should be focusing on more. I hope you will forgive my mortal flaws, though, if I am perhaps just a little more concerned with your well-being at this moment."

"I am fine, my Lord," Eyarra said, eyelids trembling slightly as Hadrian continued to trace patterns against her cheekbones, "do not waste your concerns on-"

"For once, allow me to decide what is and is not wasted on you Eyarra," Hadrian said quietly, meeting her gaze as openly as he could manage. "I have seen you mellow so much since I first arrived here - do not think I have not been watching you. When you first stumbled upon me, you were so much more forward than anyone else has been. You tempted me in the very chamber that I arrived in, while Valeera and Liirie seemed cautious even as I invited them into my bedroom because of their respect for my position - the most forward encounters I've had besides yours have been with the citizens when I spent time in their own homes, where they felt secure.

"Yet the longer I remain here the more distant you seem to grow. I've had to pry truthfulness from you about the others, and you've scarcely attempted to seduce me save when I invited you to do so. In fact, one of the many benefits I have discovered to having no memories is that I am so busy taking in new things it is difficult not to notice the behavior of those around me when these things change.

"You're welcome to keep your secrets, of course. I'm sure we all have some. I only ask that you do not strain for subservience and duty at the cost of the woman who I knew my first week in this world, the woman who saw the Lord and wanted to share herself, rather than wanting to behave in a manner others would see as proper. The High Council are just so… distant compared to you and the citizenry," Hadrian said, leaning in to kiss at Eyarra's neckline. The Kitsune tried to be subtle about hiding a hum in her throat as she spoke softly.

"Do not forget that you have primarily been interacting with the elves, a race known for rigid customs and behaviors compared to the other races. N-not that that's a bad thing, it's just something they're infamous for, and I tailor myself a bit to match them when you're around them, and I, ahhh…"

Eyarra let her words drop away as Hadrian pressed himself against her further, until their hips had met and rapidly hardening manhood was pressed between her legs. She subconsciously spread herself slightly to fit him in until his member was comfortably situated between her thighs, her lithe figure cradling him gently and warmly. Hadrian halted his attentions for a moment, leaning in to whisper.

"Doubt obscures your perfection. There is more to what you've been doing than you're telling me, but I don't mind if you're not ready to share. Tell me if you're uncomfortable speaking, but never hide things from me. The woman I saw my first day here is stronger than that, I've seen it. I've seen a bold Kitsune, confident in herself and her place in the world. You seem to have lost that confidence… perhaps I can reignite it. Let me show you what I see, let me show you what I think of the woman who greeted me on my arrival. See the perfection reflected in my gaze."

Eyarra moaned softly as Hadrian traced his way across her jawline, venturing downward from her ear and toward her tense neckline. Every movement he made only elicited reactions that spurred him on more, with Eyarra's every reaction betraying her inner lust. Though her face remained conflicted about their conversation, his actions and her responses caused her to only ever encourage him.

Hadrian ran his fingers along Eyarra's ears, touching them as lightly as the wind, tracing along the fine edges with the utmost care. Eyarra's eyes fluttered closed and she wavered as if to fall into him from such a simple touch, her balance upset and her concentration wavering. Something in her needed this far more desperately than mere lust.

"These ears hear my every wish, my every desire. I have never wanted for anything with you as my servant, and my rare requests have never gone unheeded. More than that, their beautiful black fur and soft, delicately pointed tips playfully follow your every move. They are the most adorable reminder of your service, your thoughtfulness, and your beauty."

Hadrian continued to press downward, his hands travelling across her temples to gently rub at the corners of her eyes. Eyarra perked those dark irises open just in time to gaze into Hadrian's own.

"These eyes are always so alert, so curious, so excited. They never waver in service or in their amazement - you are never bored when I'm around, you've never allowed yourself a moment's rest when I might need something. These eyes are never far away, always lingering on my every move, my entire form, every single part of me feeling your... appreciation."

Eyarra did not allow herself to so much as blink, eyes searching for something in Hadrian's gaze that he wasn't quite sure of - with no idea what to display, all he could do was continue onward. Hadrian's fingers slowly moved away from her temples, trailing down to her cheeks and then tracing to the very edges of her lips before Eyarra finally broke her stunned silence.

"My Lord… please, you offer me too much, you-"

"These lips… they comfort me. They offer me luxuries I could never imagine at the simplest touch, and they give me solidarity at every hour of the day. When I am happy, they lift and share in my joy. When I am sad or troubled, they offer me comfort and condolences that I never have to ask for. When I am confused they are patient, explaining without haste or expectation. When I am lustful, they are willing and eagerly await my every movement. When I touch them, I feel a racing pulse, a hot-blooded heart, and a woman who lights a fire in me that…"

Hadrian allowed that last sentence to hang in the air a moment, both of them frozen in place. His eyes met hers, in a shared gaze of silent deslight. Rather than some direct connection, Hadrian felt for a moment as if his own soul had passed Eyarra's in the night. As if they had been gazing at each other for only an instant, but in that brief exchange, he had already learned everything he needed to about her.

Hadrian stepped even further into Eyarra's space and locked his lips onto hers in a single movement. He felt something pass between them, something different than their previous kisses - softer, yet more intense. Even though it hadn't been even a full month since his appearance here, Hadrian could not count the number of times they had embraced like this, but none could compare now. This one had something to it, something he couldn't quite place, more than base lust or attraction to another's body and mind. He enjoyed the sensation for as long as he could before pulling himself away reluctantly, gasping slightly for air.

Hadrian breathed deeply while fighting the urge to return to that smoldering embrace. He did his best to return to his previous train of thought, though words now came slowly to his lust-addled mind. His eyes and fingers travelled in unison, gently stimulating their way to Eyarra's neck line where he collar bones were visible against the flushed skin. Then, teasingly, his hands started to edge their way lower.

"Your body… dedicated to my every need. It seems to live to serve, each breath drawn only to respond to my requests, staying alive only to be in my presence another moment. I want to show it how much I appreciate it, that your efforts have not gone unnoticed. Your heart…"

Hadrian's hand pressed against her chest, softness gently squishing in his hand as they both paused for a moment. Eyarra seemed to respond to that touch more than his others, sharply inhaling as his fingers tensed just enough to knead her mound. He enjoyed the soft moans and the twitching of her body as he squeezed on her breast, but he wanted the gesture to be about much more than the physical pleasure.

"Your heart beats only in service to me. It feels my joys, my sorrows… frankly, I wonder what it must feel, what connections must exist, because you respond to my needs often before I have even realized they're rising. It is as if you resonate with everything I am."

"My Lord… please, I don't know-"

Eyarra had reached her limit. Whether it was his words or the teasing, he could see in her eyes that her hesitance to embrace him was crossing over the threshold of her lust. That was easily fixed, especially for the amorous Kitsune. All he had to do was raise the threshold of lust until it overwhelmed her entirely.

Hadrian's hand turned intense in an instant, its innocent touches turning into lustful gropes and sensual strokes along Eyarra's ever exposed breasts. Eyarra didn't even seem to notice the change for a moment, still gazing wondrously into his eyes. After a few moans had escaped from her unwillingly, she finally glanced down long enough to respond to those touches, at first sounding almost docile.

"My Lord… do you require service?"

"No," Hadrian replied simply, allowing a moment of disappointment and loss to enter Eyarra's features before continuing. "I require only you, Eyarra. You are what I desire most."

Eyarra's next moan echoed through the room as Hadrian pressed into her, abandoning his light and sensual touches for outright lust and sensual provocation. As his second hand joined his first in ravishing her chest, Eyarra's tails began to flail wildly about, alternating randomly between stroking herself, stroking Hadrian, and undulating wildly in the air in unspoken pleasure.

"My Lord, I cannot restrain myself much longer, please- if you do not wish me to-"

"My wish, my only wish," Hadrian emphasized, "is for you to do as you please, Eyarra. Touch me, feel me, let yourself go and ravish me Eyarra. I'm tired of you holding yourself back to what you see as appropriate, or what you think is my desire. Show me how you feel about the Lord - how you feel about me."

Hadrian had openly dared Eyarra with his words, nearly taunted her, and immediately learned just how much he had underestimated the Kitsune. He had honestly not expected as much of a change as he saw - the ebony-haired beauty had seduced him not long after his arrival into the world, and she had never shown any overt signs of holding herself back or restraining her lustful actions towards him until recently. Instead of the mild shift he expected or the release of new tensions, though, it was as if Eyarra's entire demeanor shifted. The next thing he knew Eyarra had whirled both of them around, with Hadrian now the one pressed against the wall, and a very feisty Kitsune pinning his hips to the tiled wall with her own nethers grinding sensually against his trapped cock. A cluster of fluffy tails placed cushioned the impact as he was now the one being pressed sensually teased and prodded against the wall, Eyarra now practically bearing down upon him.

"You are… you are so right about me, my Lord," Eyarra whispered, leaning against Hadrian's body as she spoke. "I can't deny it. Every part of me is made for serving you. I've known that for a long time now. Let me finally put it to use. Let me fulfill my purpose."

Eyarra rubbed her entire body against Hadrian while her tails wriggled against his back. He tried to ease off of them, not sure how uncomfortable it would be for those extremities to get pinned and squished, but Eyarra didn't seem pained and her body was too tight against him to let him really move anyway. Hadrian had to admit, he wasn't overly eager to escape them; Eyarra wrapping him with her tails, surrounding him and encompassing his entire world with her body… it was one of his favorite sensations. And in this world, that was really saying something.

The amorous Kitsune abandoned words entirely, continuing to stimulate Hadrian without end, trailing lower and lower while comforting him with the tails not cushioning him against the wall. Hadrian watched eagerly with anticipation as Eyarra traced her way along his midriff, fingers travelling lightly down the path of his body to his crotch. There she hesitated, fingers and lips pausing above his waist as she playfully kissed upon his skin, still well above where his body cried out for her touch. Eyarra had knelt down so slowly Hadrian barely noticed it until she began to speak again.

"I want you to know… even if I lose this job one day, even if I surrender this title, I am yours. Now and forever, if you call on me, I will be there for your every need. Physical, sexual…"

Eyarra trailed off, but reluctantly. Hadrian saw something there in her gaze, and was just about to ask what she was hesitating over when Eyarra leaned forward and engulfed his cock in one motion, her mouth familiar enough with his member that she immediately began to work it masterfully. Hadrian's questioning words caught in his throat and his breath escaped between his teeth as one of Eyarra's hands stroked along the base of his shaft while the other fondled his scrotum, lovingly cradling his most delicate bits as she delicately worked her tongue along his shaft.

Through the enjoyment, Hadrian realized that his pleasure was clearly being used as a distraction from their conversation, but he didn't mind. Eyarra's loyalty was too deep to misuse like that. Hadrian trusted Eyarra… with her secrets as well as his own.

"Eyarra…" Hadrian whispered, unclenching his hands and letting them run through her silky black locks, "…thank you."

The words released some of the tension in Eyarra's body. Hadrian felt her shoulders relax as the anxiety left her, and a moment later, he received her gratitude in full. Eyarra's throat relaxed as her shoulders did, and she slid forward intensely to take Hadrian's cock as deeply as her body would allow her. Hadrian had to fight the urge to tighten his grip on her hair again, afraid of hurting her as she took his full length into her mouth. His body was throbbing with the instinct to thrust himself inside of her throat and speed his release, but he refused to give in so easily.

John wasn't entirely sure how it was that Eyarra had such experience, but he didn't dare spoil the mood by asking how often she'd practiced on her toys. He simply enjoyed the woman's ministrations and the fruits of her labor. She hardly seemed to breathe as she pistoned her head against his crotch, rarely even gagging despite the speed she was taking him in at. Hadrian couldn't help but to eventually start gently thrusting to add to the sensation, and the lewd Kitsune took it in stride, offering muffled moans of encouragement.

"You're absolutely masterful at this," Hadrian praised, gently running his fingers through Eyarra's hair while she impaled herself on him. She hummed happily at the praise and redoubled her efforts, pulling back slightly and bringing her hand into the fray once more. This time the playful woman had something new in mind. Gesturing with her hand in a suggestive manner without ever removing her mouth from the head of his cock, Eyarra winked very slyly at Hadrian. That must have been her attempt to warn and reassure him, because with a quick wave an ember caught at her fingertips and lit a bright, azure flame across her hand.

Were he not mostly pinned against the wall Hadrian might have taken a step back out of reflex, but the wall kept him in place long enough for his rational mind to take over again. Though Eyarra's hand was fully covered in the flames she was showing no pain and only continued to suckle on the head of his cock as the blue blaze wrapped itself fully around her hand, like a glove. Now more fascinated than fearful, John watched as the Kitsune took her hand and applied it slowly and gently to his balls.

The flames were not even warm upon him; he couldn't actually feel their presence at all physically, only Eyarra's hand. Where her fingers brushed and fondled him, a cool tingling like mint spread, and when that faded, it felt as if his skin had become twice as sensitive. The caresses of his lover felt like jolts of pleasure through his nethers, and what had been merely an enjoyable addition to her exquisite lips was now elevated to an intense stimulation all on its own.

"Now that's a good motivator to learn magic," Hadrian teased, fighting a groan as he spoke. "I love to think of the sounds I could get you to make with a spell like that." Eyarra hummed in a way that could have been agreement, but she refused to pause her efforts, instead continuing to stimulate him as much as possible. Her mouth still worked furiously over the first few inches of his dick with as much energy as she could put into it, and now her other hand was also lighting up with the same blue flames as the first. Hadrian only had a few seconds to imagine what he was about to experience before her fingers wrapped around the lower part of his shaft.

The effect that Eyarra's spell had on his less sensitive balls had been noteworthy and enjoyable; the effect it took on his cock while he was in the middle of receiving an already outstanding blowjob was like lighting every nerve on fire, with ecstasy as the fuel. Hadrian felt as if his pleasure was already bordering on the level of a full orgasm, but his body never seemed to give in. The limits of his pleasure seemed to rise in time with the stimulation, and in moments Hadrian had crested a peak that he was yet unaware that his body could even reach.

"Eyarra… it feels… I think I'm going to cum," Hadrian warned, uncertain of his body's response to a stimulation that felt far beyond ordinary climax.

"No, my Lord," Eyarra said. She had pulled her mouth off of Hadrian's cock without him even noticing, the blue flames dancing along his shaft and inspiring such intense pleasure he could scarcely tell one motion from another. "You are not."

It wasn't an order. It wasn't a demand, a question, or a request. It was a statement of fact from someone far more experienced with their own magic than Hadrian was, and he believed every word of it, despite his body's cries of amazement. Every time that he thought his sensations were reaching a peak they shot past it and discovered a new plateau. He thought it would melt his mind, that he would lose himself, but surprisingly he only grew more aware of Eyarra's presence instead of blacking out. She'd pulled her second hand away from his balls to fondle herself, the same azure flames occasionally licking out from between her legs. Eyarra returned her mouth to Hadrian's cock, embracing the head now alight with those sapphire flames and suckling on it eagerly.

Hadrian's body quivered with each ceiling of pleasure he crashed through, but he forced himself to try to relax and enjoy the sensations. The more he let go of himself the more he seemed to take in, feeling the exact motions and movements Eyarra made along his shaft. Even the wall behind him seemed to stimulate him now, and his hands and exposed skin felt each ridge of the tiles as they struggled to grip something to anchor himself. His entire body had become a hotspot, and although he had no familiarity with the new levels of joy and ecstasy he was experiencing, a deep-rooted instinct told him that he was reaching a new peak - the most important one.

"Eyarra, I think I'm about to cum," Hadrian growled, trying to steady his voice against the pleasure and the movement from below.

Eyarra didn't respond in words - she hastened her pace, and though his eyes were mostly closed, Hadrian caught a glimpse of a blue inferno rising around his crotch. Even over the pounding of his heart in his ears and the grunts of pleasure he couldn't quite keep contained, Hadrian could hear Eyarra's moans echoing his own. His body was too tense to unclench and look down to see what was happening anymore, but he could imagine the Kitsune fondling herself, furiously rubbing her clit in the throes of passion, her entire body dedicated to his pleasure while still seeking her own release..

That thought of the subservient, loving Kitsune was what finally drove Hadrian over his edge. His body spasmed violently, shoving his cock just that much further down Eyarra's throat as he reflexively buried himself deeper inside the warm, wet joys of her mouth. He jerked wildly, each pulse of sperm bringing a wave of transcendent joy that overwhelmed his nervous system, whiting out anything but the pleasure itself. Somewhere in his mind, between each pulse, Hadrian only thought one thing, repeating in his mind like a verbal metronome.

”I want to make her feel like this."

It was a background thought to the nonstop pulses of joy shot directly from his body, fading like static behind the raw emotions Hadrian could feel, but it was there all the same. Hadrian let the idea of making Eyarra squirm under his touch, the image of her moaning and spasming under him as he set blue flames alight across her body, play across his mind as the waves of his orgasm washed over him, slowly releasing all the tension that had built in him since those sapphire flames first touched his skin.

Seconds passed like hours; Hadrian felt as if he were releasing all of his uncertainties, converting them all into the thick white cream that coated Eyarra's throat. The Kitsune sucked down his seed without complaint, even growing in her own cries of ecstasy with each load he unleashed into her mouth. Whether because of her spell or due to the thought of the beautiful woman below him dutifully servicing his every need, Hadrian had come to one of the greatest orgasms of his life, and relished every second he could get of it.

When the last bits of pleasure finally subsided at great length, all that Hadrian could do was to slump against the wall, nearly collapsing. Every breath he took came in a great, heaving gasp, and it took him quite a while to stop focusing on the afterglow and begin thinking once more. Eyarra's mouth was still moving slowly across his member, but as the fire faded from the Kitsune's fingers and she let her hand fall away at last, Hadrian's body began to slip into a glorious, satisfied numbness. All he could do as Eyarra continued to attend him was to gently run his hands through her ebony hair, relishing in the feel of those silky strands sliding between his fingers.

"You and the others seem to have kept hidden a great deal of techniques… especially those which could please me," Hadrian observed, letting his hand run along Eyarra's jawline. Although pleasure was still spinning in the Kitsune's irises, she gazed up at him with an uncertain, nervous disposition.

"I have never kept them secret," Eyarra promised, her eyes wide and hopeful although clearly scared, "but only refrained from using them. If I could be so selfish… I want you to enjoy my company for many years to come, Lord. I would not want you to grow bored of me too early."

"I will enjoy your company for many decades to come, Eyarra, no matter what techniques you might show me or refrain from showing. You will always have a place here," Hadrian promised, leaning his head in. He ran his fingers along the Kitsune's ears, feeling her soft fur and enjoying how her eager body responded to every part that he touched.

"Only for decades?" Eyarra said, smiling. A soft twinkle of that playful, teasing woman he'd met started to come back into her eyes. "I shall have to find new ways to keep your attention, if that is all the longer I have intrigued you."

Hadrian smiled, the implications of her words neither lost nor wasted on him. He caught Eyarra by the chin and lifted her face to his, smiling with as much wholesomeness as he could muster while gazing at the woman who'd just swallowed his entire load.

"Now that is more like the Kitsune I know."

Hadrian mashed his lips against Eyarra's, enjoying their supple softness. He could feel her unease slipping away by the moment, and Hadrian hoped he might have succeeded in reclaiming that flirtatious trickster who introduced him to this marvelous world.


End file.
